is my all not enough?

I'm not one of those that has a dramatic testimony as to how Christ came in and dramatically rearranged my life.  I was not turned from a life of killing people, selling and doing drugs, selling my body for money, ripping poor people off, or the like.  Instead, I was ten years old when I became a Christ follower.  I did so not because my life was so much in shambles that He was the only place I could turn for relief.  Instead, I turned to Him because I realized, the best a ten-year-old's understanding manage, that I was a sinner that could do nothing to earn Heaven on my own.

After that point though, I continued to stay on my path of being a "good kid".  To this day, I have never done drugs, consumed alcohol (outside of Nyquil), had sex, or killed anyone.  Yet, even with my list of "I haven'ts" I remain unworthy of His mercy.  I have sacrificed many things, including relationships, countless physical pleasures, material possessions, and a career that would pay decent, all for Him.  With this, it would seem that I'd have a right to proclaim that I have earned some sort of extra favor with God.  I'm a minister for goodness sake after all.  Yet, even with all that I have done it remains a feeble effort at best compared to God's perfection.

"We all become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous deeds are like a polluted garment."
                                                                                                                                   Isaiah 64:6

We, as humans, have a condition of sin that makes living up to God's standard impossible on our own merit.  We are not sinners because we sin, we are sin because we are sinners.  While this is bad news at first glance, a closer look reveals something marvelous: while we are sinners by birth and condition and we continue to offer nothing but filthy rags at the feet of God on our best days of being righteous, because He is so Holy and Good, His Grace and Mercy abound so much that He is able to sustain us and do His work through us.  That is good news my friends.

So, even though I fail miserably and often and on my best day of doing good I still am not able to earn any good things from God, He continues to shower me with blessings and strength...because HE LOVES ME. (and you just as much)

Selah that



-peace