I’ve been pondering this passage a lot lately. Our small group studied Romans 12 for awhile. There is just so much good meat in this chapter. Recently, I’ve been thinking on the first verse…
Sometimes I’m a rebel (in my own mind) and I don’t care that I don’t fit in. But sometimes, I don’t fit in and it hurts. Sometimes I don’t fit in with the world. Sometimes I don’t fit in with the church either. I think not fitting in with your brothers and sisters in Christ might be a tad more painful, just in my experience. Yet, I know that even yet, we aren’t called to fit in anywhere! This world is not my home!
I wonder how many times I have excluded others because someone didn’t share my mindset. Have I shown grace when others don’t agree with me? Not always.
We are called to be different. But sometimes I grow weary of different. What about you?
I don’t even usually know if my “different” is right or wrong. So, I’m not saying my different is the way it should be. Just different. Sometimes I don’t know if my different is what I’m called to be.
We aren’t all called to the same things. That doesn’t make those choices right or wrong.
But, is there grace for all callings?
Is there grace when I don’t understand why someone does something? Is there grace when someone leads a life very different from mine? Is there grace to cover the misunderstandings among us? I have to hope and believe there is! We just must be continually learning and GROWING in GRACE. I think this takes humility.
Being transformed, I am learning, is growing in maturity and being able to show grace when when I don’t understand. Gosh, that is hard, I admit. And I am so thankful that I’m a work in progress…God isn’t finished with me yet.
His transforming power is so strong…yet I am so weak. I’m thankful that He doesn’t give up on me.
So, I say to Him…Here I am, Lord. Take me, mold me, use me as You will. Show me when I’m wrong. And give me grace for those who don’t share the same mindset I have. Give them grace to show me as well. For your glory.
Good thoughts! My small group is getting ready to do a new study on the book Uninvited by Lysa TerKerust that deals with some of these same struggles.
What encouragement from the Holy Spirit! I’m grateful for your response to His call of sharing. My family has moved denominational affiliation and I am struggling with what has felt like a bombarding message of if your not living every moment as if it’s revival week then you may not ‘really’ be saved. Our pastor is leading us through Acts and while the work of the early church is wonderfully convicting, lately I’ve felt discouraged too that I am still caught again and again in my own sin, and I don’t live every moment as the powerfully transformed creature I should be as a ‘true’ believer. After service yesterday I actually caught my mind processing the thought, well, maybe the Holy Spirit really hasn’t come into my heart and God has not chosen to real himself to me…I’m just a pretender no better than Ananias. Your point about a maturing work in progress whom the Lord will not give up on has renewed my spirit, offered me hope and left my heart with a Godly thought to meditate on. Thank you.