I guess lately I've just been allowing myself to be still. Learning to be grounded in grace I suppose because I easily slip back into performance mentality if I start to "do things for God". I start to get nervous and wonder how I am going to stay consistent in doing those things and I remind myself "Matt, it's Christ in you, quit panicking". It's becoming increasingly clear to me that this is not a rules based system. It's genuinely a relationship. Not the phony relationship with Jesus that the majority of people hold to which is really a cliche phrase to throw around. I mean it's me seeking God and receiving His love for me. The reality of Him being in union with me is becoming more of a reality to me rather than theology. I hate theology honestly and I think it's dangerous. I prefer knowledge of reality rather than theology. Theology only shows you how things work. Knowing how things work and actually living the reality are to totally different things if you understand what I mean.
I love how the Spirit in Romans says that it's by faith that we attain the access to this grace in which we stand. That means there is no price to pay for this. It's simply to believe. We access the grace of God by receiving it freely!
Reading the Bible is definitely not some chore I check off my daily list of chores for God. The Bible is a way I can understand God. It's the menu, not the meal. Prayer isn't a chore either. Never tell me I have to pray to God. What an ignorant lifeless command. My God isn't some pass time religion to take up. He is my God, my Father, the lover of my soul. He loves me so much!! All I do is receive it. He loves me freely. I couldn't tell you how much He loves me. He sent His own Son for me to die in order to get me back to Him so that we could be one for eternity.
This ain't no theology. This is reality.
8 comments:
Fantastic post!!
Excellent post!
Sometimes I too think that I need to take a step back to be still. May be taking a step back will cause us to take a different direction, may be to think a little bit more 'out-of-the-box'. I like the idea of 'resting' and I often write about it because I want that quality to be still and rest. Most of the time, when I am doing one thing, I am thinking about the next thing to do. It's a series of 'doings'. It is a pleasure and joy to even think about the idea of completely resting in the all sufficiency of Christ. I know what you are saying about reading bible and prayer. God requires nothing other than faith.
I agree... great post! The words on the pages tell us of Him, but the Word Himself (Christ) in us is the reality of what's said in the written word.
Rest and relationship are hard for the religious mind to grasp. I'm still in the process of "shedding religion," if I may borrow the phrase from Jim Palmer. =D Rest and relationship are becoming "easier," but I know I'm far from having arrived.
Matt. Wow what a coincidence. I just finished a post on my blog that said a lot of the same things about being still with Father.
I loved what you said,
"I guess lately I've just been allowing myself to be still. Learning to be grounded in grace I suppose because I easily slip back into performance mentality if I start to "do things for God"."
I have been struggling lately with that as well, and thinking that the reason for all of my 'issues' are because of me not 'doing' something for God. I grew up thinking that as long as you do all of these good things and you go to church and read your bible and pray all the time, no harm will come to you. I have just realized that, that is not even close to being the truth. Father loves me and cares for me no matter what I do. I can't 'do' anything to win his approval because I already have it, and it came effortlessly.
Good stuff Matt. Hey go take a look on my post and you will see similar things on it!
Love and Freedom, Nicole!
Another thought I had today... My "theology" changes, but the reality of my relationship with God never changes. Since it's based upon His faithfulness, not mine, it never changes. My perception of it may change - often based upon my theology - but the reality of it always remains constant.
Put another way, I know that I know that I know that all my theological ducks are not in a row. But I can rest in the reality and security of my relationship with God.
Hey Nicole,
I understand what you mean. It is so very easy to drift back under the lie of God will only love me if I get the checklist done. But the reality is is that He loves us freely. He said so Himself in Hosea 14. He also says in Isaiah, "but my salvation will be forever and my righteousness will never be dismayed."
He has brought you back to Himself and loves you even if you were never to do another thing on that checklist again. Like Brennan Manning said, "We accept the doctrine of grace in theory, but deny it in practice".
The best thing you can do from my experience is to make yourself rest from everything and allow yourself to be freely loved by God in Christ Jesus. At times this is very difficult for me because my heart is anxious and I feel I need to do something to cover up sins and mistakes or whatever. But He has sworn to us that He will always love us because of what Jesus did.
Your strength, the Father says is in "quietness and in trust." Just receive His love in the most unlikely moments when you think He couldn't possibly love you. Because He does. He will provide for you and your husband I'm certain. I prayed for you guys twice already and will continue to do so.
Matt.
Thanks brother for the encouragement! I feel so blessed to know that there are others out there who actually care and that means the world to me... What you said is true, and I am learning how to rest in Him.
In Freedom, Nicole!
This is a great post!! I'm behind in reading because of the trip but I couldn't keep from commenting on this one.
"Reading the Bible is definitely not some chore I check off my daily list of chores for God. The Bible is a way I can understand God. It's the menu, not the meal."
I love that analogy. For years, reading the Bible was a works thing for me but lately that has been changing. For a while, I really I didn't read it very much but now I'm picking it up again and reading with a different mindset.
Reading it is no longer a goal in itself. Knowing Jesus is the goal and the Bible has now become more of a tool to help me accomplish this new goal.
Joel said, "My "theology" changes, but the reality of my relationship with God never changes. Since it's based upon His faithfulness, not mine, it never changes. My perception of it may change - often based upon my theology - but the reality of it always remains constant."
What a great way to phrase that. I'm finding that Father is constantly changing and refining what I believe for the purpose of bringing me into a greater awareness of my relationship with him.
It may appear like our relationship has changed and is growing closer but that's not so. He lives in me permanently and we can't get any closer than that. What is changing is my understanding of this ralationship which is resulting in a greater awareness of him as my life.
Great stuff, Matthew, and great comments too.
Aida
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