June 12 – Growing in Grace
2 Corinthians 3:18, “And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. … And the Lord–who is the Spirit–makes us more and more like Him as we are changed into His glorious image.”
Spiritually minded people have to keep growing or they will get stunted and nasty, they have to keep flowing like a river, or stones and mud will obstruct them and dirt will entrap them. I am sharing a simple but incredible testimony of a young lady growing in grace. I will withhold her name as some of her details are personal. She was born in a good Christian family, grew up hearing about Jesus and all the Bible stories in Sunday school, loved youth services on Sundays, praise and worship, the activities and the specials services like coffee night, musical night etc. She of course felt she fit into the “good Christian girl” category, praying, reading the Bible, going to church and taking part in church’s activities. She says that she lived in this fallacy of “self- righteousness” vanity until a young man from America shared his testimony one day. Though he grew up as a pastor’s son, his world fell apart one day when his father left home to be with another woman. He rushed to the basement of his house, crying and questioning God when he suddenly heard a voice calling his name. He opened his eyes, stopped crying and looked around to see who it was, but only to find himself all alone in the confined walls of the basement. He heard the same voice again, this time the voice asked him, ‘Are those precious tears for Me or for your earthly father who left you? Who is your God, your earthly father or me?” The young man was amazed at the voice personally addressing his pain, and was in wonder of what a powerful and personal God is. He then realized his folly in disbelieving God and with a new warmth encompassing his soul, he prayed for forgiveness. Suddenly, in his more than twenty years of Christian journey, he for the first time completely surrendered himself to Jesus there in the basement. Something new and wonderful happened to him that day, he got new life, new hope and new joy.
The young man then asked them, “I want to ask one simple question to you, are you going to church for yourself, for people or for God? Have you really given your life to Christ who died for you? Who are you truly worshiping? Who is your God?”
At that moment, a light turned on! For the first time the young lady questioned herself if her life was really centered around Jesus as she claimed or was it self-centered. She then started crying and praying to God in true repentance and realization! When the light turned on, she saw the Truth and become new, free and started to change deep within.But, there was a season of maybe losing her initial fire. A few years later, she went through another trial, the young man she was engaged to left her for another girl. In that shock and pain, this young lady rededicated her life to Christ. Being tried under pressure did a new deeper work in her. She suddenly realized that she had been living more for the young man than for Christ, and she refocused her life anew. Today, she is growing beautifully, in grace, strength, courage, wisdom. She is no longer anyone’s shadow but abides in Christ alone. I am truly encouraged by her life!
Christianity is not a religion but is about a relationship with God. Once we give our lives to Christ, we live for Him and no one else. He is our Savior and our repentance of our sins releases us to His life, and a new awakening where we are born again in Spirit. The Spirit of God indwells us, to help us to walk from grace to grace to strength, one step at a time. This is how we grow in grace.
Rita
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