Unending Grace.

This summer I worked at Sky Ranch Christian Camp in Van, Texas.  Although I went there to serve and love kids, the Lord did more in my life then I thought possible.  It's funny how God works like that.  Being at camp was like living in heaven on earth.  We got to have fun and worship the Lord without any distractions or worldly things.  The kids that came to Sky Ranch called it the "sky high."  They catch on fire for Jesus at camp but when they go home it fades away and they fall into the way they were before.  Every girl that I talked to wanted to go home and be different.  They each wanted to serve the Lord passionately and not lose it.  I remember the worship song with the words, "when I come down the mountain and get back to my life, I wont settle for ordinary things.  I'm going to follow you forever, for all of my days, I won't rest until I see you again."


How many times do we promise ourselves that this time it will be different?  This time I will follow Jesus.  This time I won't give into to temptation.  This time will be the last time.


When we come into a relationship with the creator of the universe we become a new creation.  We become beautiful butterflies, and we are transformed out of being the gross caterpillar that was once confined to the dirt.  The Lord allows us to fly in our freedom.  But one thing that was constant with my girls at camp were the feelings of worthlessness and failure.  Failure to be "perfect" and maintain the "sky high."  The Lord revealed to me just HOW MUCH grace He has for us.  He already paid for every sin that we will commit and every mistake that we will make.  We are clean, perfect, forgiven butterflies.  So why are we still sitting in our mess on the ground?  Why are we still confining ourselves to the ground when we now have the ability to fly?  We fly in freedom and in grace.  The Lord has given me a free gift that I do not deserve and I could never repay.  So this mindset that I have to repay Him by being perfect just stabs the grace out of the gift.  Jesus just wants me to love Him and give Him all of me.  Not by my works so that I cannot boast in earning anything.


Galatians 5:4-6 says "You who are trying to be justified by law have been alienated from Christ; you have fallen away from grace.  But by faith we eagerly await through the Spirit the righteousness for which we hope.  For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision has any value.  The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love."


I don't know about you but I don't want to fall away from grace because I'm too busy working for it.  I want to sprint towards it and never let go!  God just wants my faith and my love and my life.  He doesn't ask me to obey rules to earn His love because I can't.  I want to express my faith through love because that is all that God is, love.  Is there a better way to worship God who is love then to be love and give love the way that Jesus did for us?


God doesn't need us but He WANTS us!  I want to walk in His grace for the rest of my life and never again become a slave to sin, a slave to works and rules.  I want to experience everything that God has for my life and for me.  If you have felt the burden of trying to live by rules and laws, and you are missing out on the grace that is freely being poured over you, I would encourage you to get back in it!!  Grace is why we are saved, period.  Allow God to take you out of your mess and wash you in His love.  His desire is for you and YOU belong to HIM!