As I began my devotional time today I was starting a new journal. At this point I take a look at my entries when the previous journal began to see where I was in this journey and to see how I’m doing now compared to then. This morning’s nudges seemed to lead me in a different direction. Today I was nudged to check my surrender at that point compared to my surrender today. It was a very different way of comparing/reflecting.

Last night I taught the Celebrate Recovery lesson–GRACE. Yes, it is all about the Gift of Grace God gives us through Jesus Christ. But additionally, it is also to become the Grace we offer others for whom we have forgiven when they have offended us, abused us, abandoned us, etc. Even more, it is the Grace we offer others when we give amends to those we have hurt, abused, offended, abandoned, etc. God has given us a free gift of Grace and he wants us to do the same with the people in our lives.

I have always been one who enjoys work/doing. But I’ve always had a motive/expectation behind the doing that would enable me to finally be forgiven and clean. Only in these past couple years has God been getting through to me that GRACE is a gift unable to be earned. In fact, in trying to earn grace, I disallow myself the opportunity to receive it.

The other thing about this lesson which really hit me is in the verses II Corinthians 12:9-10. It says in part, “…When you are weak, my power is made perfect in you….” I’ve always thought I needed to be strong in order to fight off the wrong beliefs I’ve had much of my life so this verse was confusing to me. Now I understand that being “weak” is talking about my spirit. God is wanting my spirit to be weak so that His Holy Spirit can be strong in me. This being done, I can truly become a servant of God Almighty routinely completing His Will instead of my own will.

This morning I made a new prayer list which I do a couple times a year updating it. In so doing, I no longer put “new creation” at the top. Now I put “weak in spirit–surrendered to The Holy Spirit”. This is my daily reminder to start each day fully recognizing my need to be weak so that The Holy Spirit can then be strong.