Jesus takes what we bring to the table, blesses it, breaks it and gives it away to the world.
Most of my life I thought that my Christian journey was about my ability to perform the Christian disciplines that I had been taught. Efforts to produce the fruits of the Spirit always seemed to fall short and never flowed from the center of who I am. The continual effort to manufacture this Christian life only led me to the place of frustration and despair.
I remember coming to the place of being sick and tired of being a hypocrite and in essence telling God that I would get back to Him when I could muster up enough faithfulness and commitment to follow through on my end of the deal.
In essence I was a functional Unitarian. Yes, Jesus had saved me from my sins BUT it was my responsibility to hammer out my personal relationship with the Father and earn his approval and please him with my demonstrated devotion. I was a failure!
I was given a book by C. Baxter Kruger, Ph.D. - God is For Us - and in that book Baxter talked about the vicarious humanity of Christ - ministering in us and on our behalf. It shook me to the core - I wept! Christ in me the hope of glory!
The word that jumped out at me was participation. Participation not performance is the way of Christ. He takes my failing life, blesses and offers it as His sacrifice, breaks and transforms it and gives it to the world. Christ (everything) is working through me (nothing) to do what he wants to do here and now.
The idea of sharing in what God is doing - participation - so hit me that my wife said that in the middle of my sleep I would be saying - "It's about participation!"
"I have become its servant by the commission God gave me to present to you the word of God in its fullness--the mystery that has been kept hidden for ages and generations, but is now disclosed to the saints. To them God has chosen to make known among the Gentiles the glorious riches of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory."
Colossians 1:25-27
The most amazing thing about the Christian life is that Jesus shares His life and ministry with us and allows us to participate in what He is doing. As we present ourselves (just as we are!) as living sacrifices, He takes, blesses, breaks and gives us to the world and through us is the ministering Spirit of His grace to the world.
Open your eyes and ears to what God is doing in the world - in and with and through you - and give yourself freely to participate in His mealing sharing life of grace.
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