Learning To Be The Light

"We fight to prove how righteous we are, forgetting that the righteous are not who Jesus came for." Tripp Lee Matt 9:13

That quote resonates so well with me. I can remember a time not so long ago where I believed being a Christian was about how I "appeared" to others in how I did things, how much I knew, how well I had "it together", the things I didn't do or did do. It's been quite a process of God working within my heart to reveal to me how ugly and disgusting that way of living is to HIM. In fact it was also a turn off to those around me, to my friends, to my family members of whom I have since gone back to and have had to apologize. And why wouldn't it be a turn off. When Jesus saved me, it wasn't so I could look good, it was so He could look good in me. Well I have been learning what it looks like to let Jesus shine in me. It's not found in burdening myself with ways to make myself shine. I am finding Jesus wants to shine in me in the most unsuspecting ways:

*I am learning to Care about people

**I am learning to care for my family of believers

**I am learning to Care about unbelievers

*I am learning to stop worrying about giving advice and just listen to people

**I am learning to show the world that I am not better than they, but that I am a sinner too, saved by grace and mercy, and learning to live with humility. I am learning not to judge, correct, and burden people with how I believe, but rather attract them with the love of Jesus.

*I am learning to allow people to see the real me, the one that fails, the one that gets impatient, the one that gets angry, the one who "doesn't have it all together".

*I am learning to grow in grace with others and realize that there is something I can learn from others.

A couple of Sundays ago the whole family was on our way to church and we weren't all "happy and merry" especially dad for some reason. Our sweet neighbor/friend rides every Sunday with us and happened to be in the car while this was transpiring. So as we were driving a little bickering was going on within the vehicle. I had to gracefully tell my hubby he was being impatient and he then proceeded to apologize to everyone and ask forgiveness. As I sat kinda irritated at this having to happen thinking to myself how embarrasing this was in front of her, my neighbor/friend, touched by what she saw and how dad handled things, spoke up saying..."That's why I love this family." I said "Really?"....I was humbled at how God used our lovely sin to redeem it and display the gospel through it!

The Lord uses situations to display the "gospel" and it isn't living a righteous life, it's living a life of reality, realness, and growing in sanctification through the "realness" of life.

So the next time you may not be feeling cheerful at church, share it, "I am having a bad day and need prayer!" This is the gospel!

And my favorite song this week off of K-love

It's so much brighter living in Your world
Savior, what you did for me
You gave me something I want everyone to see
When we struggle and it all goes wrong
Only You can make it right
So I say
Oh I'm learning to be the light
I'm learning to be the light

When a heart is cold as ice
You can't melt it with advice
No one wants to listen to
A list of things they shouldn't do
So I build a city on a hill
And I light a candle on a sill
Knowing You'll be always knocking at the door
Oh God I just want to love on everyone
All I have is Yours to give so let the people come

Chorus

I'm learning to be the light
That makes the shadows hide
I'm learning to be the light
The light that breaks the curse of pride
I'm learning to be the light
he light that takes the weary in it's arms

When it all came crashing down
There was only darkness all around
But in the distance I could see
A Flame