Laced With Grace

Mark and Remi

A couple of years ago my son Mark adopted a rescue puppy. Mark worked hard to train Remi and teach him to obey. He’s a smart dog and learned most things quickly. The discipline Remi has had the most trouble with is coming when called.

If we are inside he does pretty well. But if he gets the chance to escape through the front door or out the back gate we have to chase him down. Even now, two years later, Remi is prone to wander.

I know the feeling. Like Remi, I am prone to wander. Prone to leave the straight path God has marked out for me. Prone to drift away from my Master. From self-righteous attitudes and selfish desires to lack of discipline and wrong motivations, in my flesh I am weak. I need Him constantly and completely.

The words of a particular hymn keep popping into my head. “Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing” was penned by Robert Robinson in 1758. Here’s the fourth verse of this loved well-known hymn:

O to grace how great a debtor
Daily I’m constrained to be!
Let Thy goodness, like a fetter,
Bind my wandering heart to Thee.
Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it,
Prone to leave the God I love;
Here’s my heart, O take and seal it,
Seal it for Thy courts above.

I too pray that God will bind my wandering heart to Him with His good fetter. I pray He will take my heart, seal it, and protect it for eternity. I know I will not be perfect this side of heaven, but I do desire to be more like Jesus tomorrow than I am today. Then on that great day, when Jesus returns, I will be “freed from sinning.” I will then “see His lovely face” (verse four of “Come Thou Fount”).

Do you ever feel “prone to wander?” How do you actively stay close to “the God you love?”

You’ve heard the sappy old comparison before:

There was no room in the inn for Jesus (Luke 2:7). Is there room in your heart for Jesus?

Yes, the question is a bit corny and overdone. But I’ve been thinking about it seriously for the last few days. With the busyness of my life, am I truly giving Jesus top priority?

Let’s ask another question, very relevant to the season:

Is there room in your Christmas for Jesus?

Seriously. After all the garland and ornaments. In the midst of all the meal-planning and baking. After Christmas cards and shopping and wrapping and party-going… is there room in your Christmas for Jesus.

Do you have a “to-do” list for Christmas? If so it probably includes things like addressing the cards, baking the pies, cleaning the guest room, and decking the halls. Maybe your list is a shopping list and you will spend the next two weeks at the mall, WalMart, and the grocery store. Then you have to bring it all home and wrap it or cook it.

I certainly am not against gift-giving and celebrating. In fact, I’m all for it! I’ve been shopping and cooking the last couple of weeks. I also have a party or two on my calendar. But God has impressed me recently with the need to keep the reason for Christmas my top priority. “Jesus” should be at the top of every list.

How can we do that? How can we participate in the fun holiday traditions without allowing them to overshadow the reason for the celebration? We must constantly be on guard against it and we must also be intentional about keeping Jesus in the forefront.

Here are a few of the things our family has done over the years to keep our focus on Christ at Christmas:

• We hang the Christmas Nail on the tree and talk about the truth that Jesus came to die. (This page shows you what the nail looks like and the poem that goes with it. You can also make your own with ribbon and large nails or spikes found at the hardware store. I’ve even given them away as gifts!)
• The nativity set is our most cherished Christmas décor. It gets prime location!
•  We give to those who are in need through an organization like Operation Christmas Child.
• We attend Christmas Eve services. We worship Jesus before the gift-giving.
• We bake a birthday cake for Jesus on Christmas Eve day.
• We read the Christmas story from Matthew and Luke before heading to bed on Christmas Eve.

I would love to hear about the ways you and your families keep your focus on Christ at Christmas. Let’s talk!

Merry Christmas!

Kathy

Yesterday, my husband and I tried a new restaurant. Well, it’s not really “new,” just new to us. All the restaurants around here are new to us since we just moved to the area. We’ve enjoyed trying them out and discovering which will be our favorites.

The one we tried yesterday serves fried fish, seafood, and Cajun dishes. I had grilled Tilapia and shrimp, Cajun fries and Cole Slaw. My husband had fried catfish. The food was delicious and well-priced. But I don’t know if we will eat there again. Why not? The service was probably the worst we’ve ever encountered.

The atmosphere was casual. They take orders at the counter and then bring the food to your table. I sat in our chosen booth while my husband ordered. It took a full 15 minutes to place the order. The employee was far from informed about the menu and knew less about the register. Thirty minutes later my food came, but Wayne’s did not arrive for another twenty.

We weren’t the only ones having problems. A family behind us had a similar experience. The husband’s meal arrived but the wife and son’s did not. Fifteen minutes later the waitress discovered their meals cooling off in to-go boxes on the counter. Then I heard another man asking why they would not honor the coupon he brought in. And someone else across the restaurant asked why they still had not gotten their food. It doesn’t matter how good the food and the prices are, if this kind of service continues the restaurant won’t be in business much longer.

We Christians have the best news, the best gift to offer in the entire world:

All of us are sinners and deserve death, eternal separation from God. But God offers forgiveness and eternal life through a relationship with His Son Jesus Christ. And all this is free! A gift of grace and mercy from God!

So why isn’t the world jumping at the chance to accept this free gift? There are many reasons people reject Jesus. Sometimes though the problem is in the “service.” Sometimes we Christians give priority to other things. Sometimes, we don’t know how to share the Gospel message. Sometimes, we share the news with a self-righteous attitude. Sometimes, our lives don’t look like they’ve been radically changed by the Spirit of God.

Peter spoke directly to this issue:

But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect, keeping a clear conscience, so that those who speak maliciously against your good behavior in Christ may be ashamed of their slander. 1 Peter 4:15-16, NIV

Here is a summary of Peter’s points:

• Make Christ your absolute priority.
• Know how to share the Good News about Him.
• Remember you are a sinner saved by grace.
• Share the Gospel respectfully and graciously.
• Live a godly life so no one can slander Christ’s name because of you.

Have any of these points struck a chord with you today? Is there one you particularly need to work on in your life?