Tuesday, February 03, 2009

GRACE EVENTS

For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all, training us to renounce impiety and worldly passions, and in the present age to live lives that are self-controlled, upright, and godly . . . (Titus 2:11-12).

As a Christian counselor, one of the assumptions I make when a person, a couple or a family comes with a problem is that God is already at work in their lives. God has created us. Jesus has died for us all. God has not abandoned those whom He loves. The problem itself can be a grace event that prods a person to change and to grow. We think of grace in the terms of being made safe from God's wrath, but salvation is much more than that! Salvation also means becoming spiritually complete, whole and healthy servants of God. Grace is the environment in which we live. It is how God brings about healthy and good change into our lives. Therefore, when we have problems we should think of them as grace events. Problems are grace events not because God caused them, but because He alone is the One who can bring good out of our worst problems. That "good" being the change, growth and maturation of those He loves.

Thinking about our problems in this way helps us recognize the solutions that God opens up to us.

Grace&Peace,
Tom

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