Eternal life

Extraordinary afflictions are not always the punishment of extraordinary sins, but sometimes the trial of extraordinary graces. ~ Matthew Henry

I posted this quote on my twitter on January 15th! I can say that I have come to understand more of the truth in this quote. Here are a few of the extraordinary graces God has been so merciful and gracious to teach me over the last 5 months:

1) I have learned that God is faithful in all His ways. Where I am not faithful, God is always faithful. He knows what I need and used a major trial to get to my heart. His main business is my heart. It has over-flowed into my husbanding and parenting. I now am quick to go after my heart and the hearts of those around me. I mean God doesn't care about what I am doing in the church, Bible reading, praying if He does not have my heart. We can get so busy and miss the main point.

2) I have learned that man is fallible. I was guilty of putting more stock into man then God. It was a lesson I needed to learn. I now know that even elders are sheep like myself. We all belong to God and are called to submit our lives to Him fully. To know that God knows are hearts and works I can rest in Him through the hardships of life. But through this lesson I have learned to have compassion on those around me. I understand that God is in control and everyone but God will let me down and fail me. That is fine. I have a solid Rock in Jesus Christ who is infallible 100%, I trust Him.

3) I have learned how to glorify and enjoy God in my family. It is crazy, but enjoying them and loving, leading and serving them I am glorifying God and enjoying Him! I am so excited about finding time to be a family with my wonderful wife and girls! It is very important to me. I am thinking more about protecting them and helping them grow spiritually and asking God to show me His ways. Everyday in my home is another opportunity to disciple my family and keep pointing them to Jesus Christ. It is another opportunity to fail and understand the gospel for myself. I am the elder of my family. This is my main mission field. I have never been so excited to lead, love and serve my family. I am always looking for ways to help Jolie grow in grace and my girls to see their need for Jesus Christ. When we are a family then we get to see the gospel lived out in our home.

4) I have learned that I can't produce any holiness, godliness and righteousness in my life. It is only because of Jesus Christ that these things grow in my life. As I behold Him and His glory (2 Cor. 3:18) my life will be changed and transformed from one degree of glory to the next. I am free to live by faith in the Son of God and enjoy Him. I just want to believe Him more and love Him more. He will be faithful to take care of the rest. I can trust God. Because He has regenerated my heart I can trust that He will make sure to reform my life as I read His Word, be secret in prayer and follow those who submit to Christ. As I delight in Him, He give me the desires of my heart. I want nothing more then to be Christlike in all my ways.

5) I have learned that I am not going to fix everything. I am not God. I see no point in living to get everything fixed and perfect. Life is hard and messy and God is always good in all His ways. No matter what the circumstance is that He ordains for my life (it could be good or evil) He is doing it for my good and His glory. It doesn't matter what God ordains. Whatever it is I know my God is the faithful God who is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness. The day is coming when God will restore all things, but in this life I will only give my best and leave the results up to God. What a blessing and privilege it is to be God's servant here on earth. He uses me as He pleases. I can't change hearts, but He can and sometimes He will choose to use me. Regardless of what works He has planned for me, my only desire is to believe and love Him and get to know Him more and more by meditating and praying over the Bible. It is how He has chosen to reveal Himself to us. I don't know what is better then learning about God. I believe if man is going to live a life that glorifies God and enjoy Him forever he must first have right thinking about God. Right thinking leads to right living. What wonderful lessons of graces God has poured out into my life.

Last I want to share just how life has been so wonderful. I really am enjoying eternal life now. God has been working more then ever. I see Him everywhere around me. I guess that is what happens when you get your eyes of self and others and put them on Jesus Christ. God is enough. If I have Him I am doing just fine. As Lecrae says, "If I don't see Christ anymore then I don't want to be!"