The Grace Growers in your life

Many Followers of Christ are under the misconception that, because they trusted in Jesus, life should somehow be a bowl of cherries. The truth is, though the storms of life will persist, as one empowered by the same Spirit who raised Jesus from the dead (Rom 8;11), you will find yourself amazed at how trouble rolls off your back like water off a duck. 

So, why do the fiery darts continue to fly in our lives? Why does a business fail? Why does a daughter get pregnant ay 16 or a son get imprisoned for manufacturing drugs? Why does a coworker make you crazy or a spouse get under your skin?

2 Peter 3:18 encourages us to "...grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ."

Think about it: this verse is admonishing us to grow, to mature. In what area? In the grace Jesus offers us and, subsequently, in your knowledge of Him as you experience that grace. 

So, how do we grow? Through exercise and experiences. Through development. Through trials and tests. Through failures as well as successes. Through constant use and abuse.

Time after time, we are awed when powerful Christians share their testimonies of mountain-moving faith. We might find ourselves wishing we, too, had testimonies to share, forgetting they don't come without tests. Rest assured, the tests WILL come! The Jesus you will come to know better as you press into that relationship in the midst of turmoil is the same Jesus 1 Peter 3:18 is pushing us to get to know better. 

Are YOU growing in your knowledge of Him? After all, He is knowable. You can have a deep relationship, or you can have Religion. Jesus is a friend who sticks closer than a brother. He's a father to the fatherless and a husband to the husbandless. He will never leave you or forsake you, an anchor that holds when your ship is being tossed. 

How do we get to know Jesus? By spending TIME with Him. Whether it's the study of Him through the Scripture or that 2-way conversation we call "prayer," don't allow the stuff of life to distract you from investing time in that critical relationship. Also, watch for signs of Him speaking to you through the loving actions of others, not to mention the way He might choose to make a life-altering point through movies, billboards and t-shirts.

Is there someone, or some THING, that pushes all the buttons necessary to get you hot and bothered? We can allow that person or situation to get the best of us every time, or we can CHOOSE to break that cycle, embrace those moments, lean into Jesus, and learn as Paul did when he prayed three times to have his "thorn in the flesh" removed, "My grace is sufficient for you." See, it's not about having the thorns in our flesh removed; it's about us GROWING, despite those thorns, by experiencing His grace. 

When it comes to dealing with others, remember, people are never our problem; the problem is the problem, but our problems are also the solution to growing in His grace and in our knowledge of Him. So, how can they be that bad? How else can we best experience Him in our lives? When I look back at the darkest moments of my life, I can do so with fondness because, during those troubled times, I stuck to Jesus like glue. Not only did He help me through them, but I cam to know Him, trust Him and love Him.

Satan ALWAYS shoots himself in the foot. All his efforts to destroy me only resulted in a more passionate faith in Christ and a deeper love for my fellow man!

God is so much more concerned with our character than our comfort. If you're going through something difficult at this moment, it's a great time to ask "Lord, where are you in this? What are you trying to teach me?" Seek Him in the midst of it rather than simply seeking a way out of whatever you're being confronted with. You'll find the words of Scripture are true: "It came to pass."

God's grace to you!

Every blessing,

Michael Tummillo

Founder, The Church @ Work