Last week in “Engine Check” Pastor Seth reminded us we need to be LIVING the faith we are learning, and that if we are honest, we can watch our lives jump off the starting line, we can allow God to pop open our hood and know our hearts. Yesterday Pastor Seth pointed out some tools we need to have in our garage in order to live a restored life. Surprisingly, the tools are NOT found behind that bartender or in the backseat of that car or in that mall. They are not found behind that desk or with those people.
Take a good look at the areas of YOUR life that are in need of restoration- your finances, your loneliness, your grief, your broken sense of identity and inability to trust in your relationships, there are areas in our lives that break down and we are constantly searching for the right tool. There is only one mechanic that has really paid the price for it and has the ability to use it; his name is Jesus and two tools he uses to build us are Forgiveness and grace.
When you are faced with temptation to pick up other tools, bring these three thoughts to the chop shop…
CONSIDER THE CROSS: Remember that Jesus bought us with His life. He suffered and died for you. Get some proper perspective of your problems, get out of the self-pity, the resentment, the anger, the defeat and into the strength and love in the fact that Jesus died for us GLADLY.
RESENTMENT DOES NOT WORK: The emotion of resentment eats away at everything positive in our lives. It kills the hope and faith that God takes care of us, it kills the knowledge that God will take care of them, and it will twist our reality into thinking WE are the ones that need to control our situations, and pretty soon we forget about God completely. When that happens Satan wins. Ask God to help you in your unbelief. Ask God to take care of the resentment, ever remind you that He is the judge.
REALIZE YOU AND OTHERS WILL MAKE MISTAKES: God’s grace is sufficient for you. We have the opportunity to give ourselves grace and give grace to others because this is what God whispers to us when we are broken. We are worth the restoration. We are worth the time and energy and work to create THAT life we only dream of. By God’s grace and power we have a life that is valuable and beautiful and that He will restore with us- if we let Him.