Monday, September 30, 2013
Sunset
God has a special way of delivering us out of situations. Last week I finally had the opportunity to go to another one of my church’s connect groups. Our most recent series at church was called Simplify. We had just come out of an absolutely life changing series called Love, Sex and Dating. It challenged me to look at myself and relationships in a completely new way and revolutionized my level of dedication to committing to a track that would best position me to show the Lord how dedicated I am to walking in His will –annnd hopefully meet an amazing man who would become my husband some day haha
That night, I was pleasantly surprised when we started talking about King David’s relationship with God. King David’s story is one of my all time favorites, but his life is also one of the most dramatic tales. To say the least, I was curious to see how King David would fit into the idea of simplifying. Within no time it was all very clear. Our group leader did a fantastic job of conveying how God’s grace is a gift. He then went on to share specific examples of how we can’t earn grace through works. I especially appreciated the mention that so many of our relationships are works based. “She did this for me, so I should probably go ahead and do this for her.” “He came to this, so I should make sure I make it to that.” I could give a million examples of times those situations come up, and I am so grateful that I was able to receive that message because it made me question if that was an underlying expectation in my heart when it came to my relationships.
For me, it was the perfect compliment to the Love, Sex and Dating series. I took a note of the following quote: Whatever your strongest relationship is, so is your identity. As a Christian, I have set up parameters when dating to do my best to avoid any relationship from ever creating a disconnect with those closest to me –most significantly, my relationship with God. Faithfully, this is where I believe grace comes in. God has a panoramic view of our lives and I passionately believe that He answers prayer. So He hears my countless prayers as I ask Him to guide my path, bless my future husband, prepare my future husband for greatness, show us favor, etc. As I sit here going through the motions of embarking on a fresh start, I consider it such a blessing that my faith is anchored in Him and not man. God doesn’t get confused in His emotions, He isn’t torn about His intentions towards us and most importantly He is who He says He is.
If there’s ever been a time for me to be grateful for the aforementioned quote it’s now. Even when my wonderful amazing husband comes along, I have to stand on the unwavering foundation that my identity rests in God’s eternal faithfulness. The song below is one of my all time favorite praise songs, and literally exemplifies my continual desire to grow closer to Him.
I hope this is encouraging to whoever reads this. Have a great week!
Peace, Love & Sunshine -Chelsea
Song of the Day: A Closer Walk – Fred Hammond
youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ut3jTIS1Jgk