I grew up following the teaching of the Holy Bible. I was taught as my father, who was taught by his grandfather (and great grandfather most likely going back no telling how far) that there was the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, who while wanting me to go to heaven, would send me to hell if I didn’t follow the laws set down by the Bible. Well I just couldn’t live up to those standards (hell who could?) and while I was told that Jesus saved us when he died on the cross to wash those sins away. I didn’t understand the grace that went with it.
Maybe I was not in a place to listen or hear that message. I didn’t see the love of Jesus from the other children I was in Sunday school with (I was at church Sunday morning, evening, and Wednesday evening until I was 16 when I got my driver license) I was an outcast there. I got to the point where I dreaded going church. I thought I was in hell already, getting in fights, going home feeling worse than when I got up in the morning.
I did blame my folks for this for a long time, but if I didn’t go through what I went through I wouldn’t be in the place I am now! Now I thank them with all my heart! They where God’s tools that showed me another way. I have found another way to look at this book we call the Bible. Now I am not the founder of these thoughts. If you look at the links in this blog you will find the people that showed me this. My folks might have known this, and even tried to show me this but I wasn’t ready to see it!
The thing I missed as a child and young adult was the concept of Grace. The grace of God/ Jesus this is the true power of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Grace, Grace, Grace. Without the love and grace of the Jesus all would be lost.
I would like you, the reader, to engage me, to say, “Stigandi, I think you are way off on that point and here is why….” The only thing I ask you to leave behind is the legalisms, and the biased point of view that the “religion” of Christianity have taught us. Then we can open ourselves up to the true love and grace of Jesus.
“Don’t tell me of your religion, show me how you live and I might follow”
-me-
Grace to you.
2 comments:
Hmmm... Sounds like we may have similar pasts. I look forward to reading more.
I'll second the similar past comment...All those years in church and I'm 27 and didn't have the faintest clue as to what grace ment (let alone that it even existed) until 3 years ago...needless to say ive never been the same since :) Grace is an amazing thing!
Looking forward to reading more of your posts.
Bec
Post a Comment