Embrace Grace

Embrace grace. I'm trying to understand what it means to embrace the grace of God. I tend to focus more upon all my regrets, failures and mistakes. You might have one, two or more from your past. What follows regret usually is a painful reminder of mistakes. We all face mistakes and have to face the consequences. In my life I remember the time I reacted instead of responded to the "smack talk" of older middle school girls. They were riding their bikes as I was playing basketball on my driveway. They were ridiculing me and calling me names. I became angry. Angry enough to grab a few rocks and throw them as hard as I could! What I didn't realize is my youth pastor's SUV was in the way. I blew out the back side window in his vehicle. In my rage, I lost control. I regretted my anger each day I worked to pay for the window to be repaired. Minor regret, I get it. If you are like me you carry around painful moments from the past. In scripture, one of Jesus's disciples was the "king" of mistakes. His name was Peter.

To me, Peter is one of the most interesting people in the Bible. He was the epitome of a courageous follower of Christ who made a lot of mistakes. Peter was the man of "firsts" as a disciple. Cutting a guy’s ear off (John 18:10-11), walking on water (Matthew 14:22-23), believing in Christ and then denying him three times, first one to enter the empty tomb and first person Jesus appeared to after His resurrection (Luke 24:34). Peter was faced with regret from his past. Jesus came looking for Peter once He was resurrected. You see, Peter allowed his regrets to control his future. Peter based his worth upon his performance. What he didn't realize is that Jesus wasn't through with him yet!

Jesus came to Peter and had a heart-to-heart conversation:

¹⁵ When they had finished eating, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon son of John, do you love me more than these?”

   “Yes, Lord,” he said, “you know that I love you.”

   Jesus said, “Feed my lambs.”

 ¹⁶ Again Jesus said, “Simon son of John, do you love me?”

   He answered, “Yes, Lord, you know that I love you.”

   Jesus said, “Take care of my sheep.”

 ¹⁷ The third time he said to him, “Simon son of John, do you love me?”

   Peter was hurt because Jesus asked him the third time, “Do you love me?” He said, “Lord, you know all things; you know that I love you.”

Jesus said, “Feed my sheep. ¹⁸ Very truly I tell you, when you were younger you dressed yourself and went where you wanted; but when you are old you will stretch out your hands, and someone else will dress you and lead you where you do not want to go.” ¹⁹ Jesus said this to indicate the kind of death by which Peter would glorify God. Then he said to him, “Follow me!”

Did you notice what Jesus asked Peter? "Do you love me?" Jesus is much more interested in our love for Him than how much we can do for Him. Living for Christ is not performance based but driven by our love for who He is. Peter was refined by the fact that Jesus embraced grace, not his mistakes. Peter's regret led him to return to his life as a fisherman. He had lost the vision for his life because of his past failures. Jesus had a life changing conversation that reinstated him to be a leader in the early church. Shortly after Jesus left, Peter preached and 3,000 people were saved! Peter realized this verse, “He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion” (Philippians 1:6).

Peter was killed by the horrible Emperor Nero in A.D. 64. Peter insisted upon being crucified upside down because he did not feel worthy to die the same way Jesus died. Peter’s view of God changed because of his relationship with Jesus!

God is never through with us. If you are like me, you keep asking, "What If" or "If only" questions. We must embrace grace and understand that God is refining us. For me, I remember the times I spoke angrily to my brothers growing up. I remember the times I fail in measuring up and question why God would continue to use me. Embracing grace is understanding that it is not cheap. Grace was available at the cost of Jesus' blood on the cross. Understanding that Jesus does not need us, but wants us is the essence of embracing grace. Instead of embracing regret, I encourage you to see through the eyes of Peter and embrace grace. Just like Peter, we need to embrace His grace and never quit on Jesus' call on our lives.

 Are your regrets fueling your life or the grace of Jesus?

I love how the skit guys capture the grace of Jesus.

Athlete Spotlight: Is Tebow good enough?

Tim Tebow. Let me just say that I have rooted against him a lot in the last few years. I am a Seminole fan. My wife, Cassidy is a gator fan, but a bigger Tim Tebow fan. Hands down, he is a great athlete. Anyone who says otherwise has no understanding of sports or ability. I could not stand watching him beat the Seminoles each year. It was painful, but I learned to respect not only his leadership on the field but his leadership in life.

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He is a good example of what a man of God should be in life. Why do I think this? Tim loves Jesus and is not ashamed. He kneels to give God thanks after a game ("tebowing" as they call it). He is ridiculed for his radical faith, for example, remaining pure until marriage. (Why is that funny? It takes more courage to be pure than it does to be impure!) He was raised in a godly home that taught him the importance of knowing Scripture, which was one reason he wore Scripture verses as his eye black (outlawed soon after Tebow graduated). I had the privilege to meet his mom in Jacksonville. She spoke at a women's event and did a great job. I could see her love for Christ came first in her life. Knowing her bravery to deliver Tim despite the doctors warnings reveals their outlook on life.

I was homeschooled (or homeskooled?). I know you are not that surprised! I grew up playing basketball and baseball in Palm Bay, Florida and later walked on at the college level. If the state of Florida did not allow homeschoolers to play sports in high schools, none of this would be possible. Tim Tebow was the first homeschooler to win the Heisman trophy! In most states you cannot play sports as a homeschooler. Did you know Jason Taylor was homeschooled as well? We are not all into chess club and spelling bees!

I have heard both the negative and positive things about Tim Tebow. Most of those who dislike him are usually the ones that lost to him for years. Here are a few stats from his college career:

• 2006, 2008 National championship
• Career Passing: 661 Cmp, 995 Att, 9285 Yds, 88 TD
• Career Rushing: 692 Att, 2947 Yds, 4.3 Avg, 57 TD
• Career Scoring: 57 TD, 342 Pts
• Consensus All-America: 2007
• Heisman Voting: 1st in 2007, 3rd in 2008 and 5th in 2009
• Career Pass completion percentage: SEC* 66.4 (1st)
• Career passing touchdowns SEC* 88 (1st)
• Career rushing touchdowns SEC* 57 (1st) (More stats HERE)

We all agree (those who are sane) that Tebow was an exceptional college QB. Even haters usually agree that he was a winner. One reason that Tebow has struggled in the NFL is because he is used to having a spread option offense. Urban Meyer was a genius to embrace his offense with Tebow's strengths. Josh McDaniel drafted him with a desire to use him in the offense. McDaniel said this about Tebow, "He has all the traits you look for. It's a good pick." Tebow was ready to prove the critics wrong and make his new coach proud. McDaniel is now gone and the new coach is not his biggest fan.

He is now the starting quarterback for the Broncos, but has yet to find his rhythm. Tebow is a polarizing athlete. He is both criticized and loved by the media. Imagine being in his shoes? If you do not win, you are ridiculed and you hear people say, "Why Tim Tebow will never be a good NFL Quarterback" or "Face it...Tim Tebow just isn't good enough."

People said that when he was in college and now they are saying it in the NFL. Whether Tebow becomes a high quality QB or not, he has consistently revealed an attitude of character. In my opinion, his example for Christ will impact many long after his football career is over. Tim will use every criticism as fuel to improve. Am I a little biased? Maybe. But I know his identity is not found in how great he throws or runs a pigskin ball across a field. His identity is in Jesus Christ and that truly is all that matters.

 

Do you think Tebow is good enough? I'd like to hear your thoughts! 

Encouragement or Flattery?

Be assured, if you walk with Him and look to Him, and expect help from Him, He will never fail you. –George Mueller We all want encouragement. We all need encouragement. Even if your "love language" is not words of affirmation, a kind word is uplifting. I can remember the times in my life that people invested in my life. I can give encouragement but my inclination is criticism. Sad isn't it? It is much easier to find fault than to encourage. Personally, I can remember the criticism I have received over the years more than the encouragement. We need to encourage more and criticize less, especially within the church!

You see, encouragement is not flattery. Flattery is giving praise to someone for an unchangeable attribute God provided (mental capacity, family, nationality, skin complexion, hair...). Our culture thrives upon flattery (just go watch reality TV!). Focusing on the outward attributes leads to temporary joy.

Flattery can be...

•  "You look so good in that dress"
•  "Look at how handsome you are!"
•  "Your hair is so pretty"
• "Wow, you have a great voice. You should go on American Idol"
•  "Your message was amazing, you inspire me"

It gets even messier when you apply flattery in ministry. We all appreciate comments that lift us up. We crave it, especially when discouraged. Danger arises when we only listen to people who flatter us. What happens when we are criticized? Encouragement is not just telling each other how amazing we are. If we base our worth on flattery, we will have false identity.

So the real question is, are we looking for encouragement of flattery?

To encourage means “to inspire with hope, courage, or confidence.” It is to give courage to others. Courage to face the trials, insecurities, and pain in life. Encouragement is to give courage to one another to run the race with determination and perseverance (Hebrews 12:1). It is much more about how we finish, then how we start! Encouragement is pouring the hope and love of Jesus into each other's lives.

Encouragement is expressing character qualities exhibited in a person's life. It is focusing upon the grace of God in each other's life. Encouragement can also mean listening to correction from those who love you. When close friends say  hard things to me, it is hard to swallow. If we want to be encouraged but stay humble, we need accountability and vulnerability. We need encouragement to battle the struggles and humility to die to self.

Practical ways to encourage one another:

• Speak sincere words (Ephesians 4:29). Avoid sarcasm when encouraging others.
• Share encouraging scripture (Romans 15:4).
• Pray on the spot privately if someone expresses a need to you (don't just say, "I'll be praying, see you later").
• Buy someone's lunch without expecting anything in return.
• Send a quick text message, card or note to a friend.
• Privately encourage a person based on their growth in Christ. "Thank you for leading prayer today, I can see God using you."
• Encourage first before criticizing (Proverbs 10:11).
• Give encouragement without expecting it in return. (Only then is it true encouragement and not flattery).

What about you? Do you want encouragement or flattery?