his death. my life

He died.

He gave up his life.

He took the bullet for us.

Even though we try, it is so hard to fully grasp what that means and how it changes EVERYTHING! His love for us is so overwhelming, so vast and mind-blowing, we’re human and we can’t wrap our minds around it.

My God - - he doesn’t NEED me. He doesn’t depend on me or rely on who I am... yet he brought himself down, made himself human and then died for me. He was mocked and spit on by the very ones he came to save... he died for them even though they put nails through his hands and feet and drove thorns into his head. He did it because he WANTED to. THAT is LOVE! He doesn’t need me or you, but He wants us... He loves us, even though we are so undeserving. Grace has saved us. We are sinful and broken and yet Christ died on the cross in order that we might be forgiven for our sins and given eternal life...

Taking advantage of Grace – I’ve heard that line many times. We sin sin sin because we know that in the end we will be forgiven anyways - - ‘i’ll live my best later’ - - I know, this is wrong. It’s not AT ALL how we should be living. But yet, to a point, we do it all the time. I’m not writing to tell you what is right and wrong, what you can and cannot do/watch/say/listen to, etc... However; there comes a point where if something is not glorifying God - - we shouldn’t be spending time on it... and if it’s doing the opposite of glorifying God, well... then we’re walking in the wrong direction...

Glorify = to make glorious by bestowing honor, praise, or admiration

We have a God who DIED for us, even though we are so undeserving. What can we give in return? I don’t know about you, but I greatly desire to give God thanks by offering up my life to him, by glorifying Him in every area of my life – because my life is his. I only have life because of his death! It was so easy to say all of that, but to actually live it out = blood, sweat and tears. There are so many times, every day where I realize that what I’m doing/thinking/saying is not honouring or praising God. I realize that I’m not glorifying him... and there are so many times when after I realize that... nothing changes. That’s a cold hard slap in the face to my God. He died for me to bring me life, not because he HAD to, but because he LOVES me... and I can’t even turn off the TV when I know the very thing I’m watching is an insult to his death... it’s the very thought I’m thinking that nailed him to the cross. He tugs at my heart and I ignore him because at the end of the day, I’ll be forgiven. THAT is taking advantage of grace.

I know we’re human, we’re not perfect – but I think we need to ask ourselves, “is his death worth my life?” Jesus dying on the cross... is that worth giving up our lives for? Are we willing to start changing how we live because he died for us? Do we accept the fact that all we have to give him as a ‘thank-you’ for his act of grace is everything we are and that still doesn’t suffice. Are you going to give up your life as a sacrifice, change your life from living for yourself to living for God... surrender all to the one who gave up his life for you... are we willing? Does what we do, say, think – does how we act, what we watch, listen to or support – does it GLORIFY God? Are we really trying our hardest or have we become lazy? I know it’s easier said than done, and no matter how hard we try we won’t ever be worthy of his death... but that’s what is so amazing about our God. He LOVES us anyways. For me – that makes me want to try harder. Get rid of all the things in my life that don’t glorify God... there’s no room to indulge myself in the very things that caused Christ’s death on the cross. Sin. There is no room to indulge myself in sin. It’s time to clean up our act. Don’t be lazy.