Preview 1: "The Day I Stopped Trying"

Over the next few days, I want to give you a preview of the book that I have been trying to write. While I feel as though I am getting closer to completion, I thought this would be a great way to gain some insight and get the creative juices flowing. Please note that this is not the finished product. However, I do hope that some of what I share will stir up the beauty of grace in your own life.

What you will be reading over the next few blog posts is a compilation of areas in my life where I have truly given up. That’s right…I threw in the towel. I quit. As a believer in Jesus Christ, I knew the truth that would set me free, but I wasn’t experiencing freedom. I knew that I was no longer a slave, and yet I continued to be shackled in various areas of life. I had just enough grace to be forgiven, but not enough grace to be victorious.

My journey with Christ began as a child. It was then that I learned the art of jumping through the hoops. I did the things that were asked of me: I prayed every night (especially for forgiveness), went to church (because my parents took me), and tried my dead level best to not sin (you can guess how that worked out). Of course, as many of you have found out, that type of life is filled with very deep valleys that are bordered by some very high mountains. I don’t know about your valleys, but mine seemed to last longer than the mountain top experiences.

Fast forward a few years and you will see a 17 yr. old high school senior respond to an altar call at a local church. It is that moment on December 18, 1991 when I “firmly” placed my trust in Christ. I prayed the sinner’s prayer and began another leg of my journey. My resolve was strong. I remember saying out loud that evening, “I hope I don’t mess this up.” What I did not realize was that statement would shape my theology and walk with Christ for almost 20 years.

I KEPT MESSING IT UP…or so I thought. It didn’t matter how much I grew in my understanding, how many times I re-committed my life to Christ, vowed to do better next time; I continued to struggle with my faith. I looked for the secret that other believers seemed to possess. I desperately wanted to be pleasing to the Lord. However, the up and down roller coaster of my faith continued. The longer I walked with God, the further away I seemed at times. And all the advice I had received up to this point had me looking inside of myself to see discover the problem.

It wasn’t until a few years ago that I discovered the problem. The problem wasn’t my heart for the Lord. It wasn’t due to an alive and active sin nature in me. It wasn’t because I was misusing the grace of God. The problem was in my basic understanding of grace. I, like many of you, had an understanding of grace that told me I was forgiven. However, it wasn’t the forgiveness that seemed to be lacking. What I was missing out on was the abundant overcoming life that was promised.

I invite you to join my journey. A journey that has been filled with discovery, repentance (changing the way I think), and incredible security. A journey of absolute freedom in the Lord. A journey that is built upon a foundational understanding of grace as "the divine enablement of God." Are you ready?

Before we begin, I feel the need to warn you. It's not always easy to change the way we think. Repentance is hard work. It means that you will have to junk some faulty thought processes. You will have to give up your "just try harder" mentality. You will have to learn how to rest in the Lord, trust the Father's heart for you, and be absolutely convinced of His redeeming love. While this journey is rewarding, it may cause others to question the joy you will carry. Some will wonder about the new found love you will possess. Others will be uncomfortable about how comfortable you are with the Lord. Don't give in. Just give up on the idea that it is normal for your life to be less abundant, and your faith less than overcoming.

The grace of God will take you farther than you have ever dared to dream. Freedom is on the horizon. Let's begin...