because of His love

As I sit down and reminisce over this past year I begin to realize how still I was. How stuck I was in routine and what I was comfortable doing. There were so many things that I know I should have done that I didn't do because of selfishness. But the comfort of my Lords faithfulness keeps overwhelming me in such a way that all I can do is look at what He has in store for me. A lot of what I had been planning on happening this year, did not happen. Well, that's what you get Jackie for walking in your own mind, and not in Christ's. It's so easy to just wander away from the Lord and float around in your own little world, but in all seriousness, where will that take you? Christ has a plan and a future for us, I can't even comprehend the outrageous life I have ahead of me...in Ephesians 2:10 it calls us "His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them." Now earlier in that same chapter it talks about how God already did the works for us... it's not our works, but the works already done through us. It's so easy. I'm so thankful that the Lord has helped me see this now. Oh, He's such a faithful God. Anyways, this past year I was trying so hard (which I don't need to "try" anyways, I do) to be more holy and more Christ-like, when all along I already have been created holy." Even before the world was made, God had already chosen us to be his through our union with Christ, so that we would be holy and without fault before him. Because of his love." Eph. 1:4 Because of His love, we have been created holy and without fault. Because of His love, that unfailing love, I am holy and without blemish. What power that holds. I mean, it's done...He made it so we don't have to do anything but obey Him and love Him as He love us. He made it so easy for us. Why have we twisted living a holy life into some challenging, hard, obstacle course that only apostles, preachers, and prophets can make through? No, His love is so much greater than that. He gave us grace, glory to God. It's by that same grace that we have been saved. And in that union with Christ He has set us up to sit with Him in royalty. That blood, the precious spotless blood of the lamb has enabled all of this to come into place in our lives. What do we do? How could we possibly repay all of what our Father has done? Walk in His ways, speak what He speaks, give Him all the glory, worship Him, obey Him. It's a new year and I'm ready to live a different life.