Puffed Up

The other day, I was reading Max Lucado's “Out Live Your Life”, (which I expect to be a life changing book) and he said “Don't forget who holds you”. Everything we are; everything we have is because of Christ.

I Corin. 4:7 says:

Who says you are better than others? What do you have that was not

given to you? And if it was given to you, why do you brag as if you

did not receive it as a gift?

And Acts 7: 2-4 says:

Stephen answered, “Brothers and fathers, listen to me. Our glorious

God appeared to Abraham, our ancestor, in Mesopotamia before he

lived in Haran. God said to Abraham, “Leave your country and your

relatives, and go to the land I will show you.” So Abraham left the

country of Chaldea and went to live in Haran. After Abraham's

father died, God sent him to this place where you now live.

God's the one who brought us where we are. He has given us what we have. Any wisdom we posess, isn't really ours; it's God's wisdom. He gave it to us.

The other day I was talking to a friend who is going through a time of confusion. I told my friend, just to immerse themselves in God's word. If you do that then God will leach into your heart, your thoughts, and your actions. I told my friend that I understood where they were coming from,

because I'd been in that place of seperation from God through my guilt. But God still wants his children. I told my friend that my goal was to immerse myself so much in the Word that Christ leaks out of me. And others will be able to see that I'd been with Jesus. I walked away thinking “you did good, Renata”. I felt pious. Somewhat holy, even.

The next day I spoke with one of my daughters and kind of counseled her some on life.

Oh yes, God is gonna use me. I've been reading my Bible and my little Random Book of Devotions. God has been speaking to me. …...I AM A VESSEL.....

I have arrived. Or at least, I'm well on my way to arriving.

Yesterday, I fell flat on my face. Not literally, but I failed in my walk. I had to go to God and ask him to forgive me. I looked at myself and asked, “Why? You've been reading your Bible everyday. Why can't you get “Right” inside of you so that it comes out in your actions?” Maybe part of the reason is that I'm not immersed in Him. I'm not who I was. I've been reading and studying the Word, some. But not really immersed. I need more of HIM so I become less. The other reason that “Right” doesn't consistently come out in my actions is that I'm not perfect. I'm not righteous on my own. (I can say these words, but in reality I don't understand them. I won't understand completely until I get to Heaven. But I know them to be true.)

Oh God, how quickly I forget who holds me. If the words I spoke and the life of the speaker touched these 2 people, it isn't because of Renata's superior intelligence or wisdom, but because of you, God. To forget who holds me is the prelude to falling.

Forgive me, Lord for forgetting who I am and for falling. Thank you for loving me. For your grace and mercy.

Lord, I am aware that as you mold and make me into what you want; I look into the mirror quite impressed with what I have made of myself. I'm sorry, Father God. Please forgive me. Help me Lord to always remember who I am. I am in Christ. I am nothing outside of Christ. I have no reason to boast or feel puffed up.