My size? GRACE!
When the Woman saw that the tree looked like good eating and realized what she would get out of it—she'd know everything!—she took and ate the fruit and then gave some to her husband, and he ate. Immediately the two of them did "see what's really going on"—saw themselves naked! They sewed fig leaves together as makeshift clothes for themselves. (Genesis 3:6-7)
How are you doing with this 'blame' thing? Maybe hit the snooze button one too many times because of a rough night, then blame your tardiness at work on being "caught in traffic"...really, who was to blame? Perhaps a deadline passed without your work being finished, while your online shopping is all complete, and you excuse it away with just how "busy" you have been...really, who was to blame? It is silly how we try to "cover up" our little "missed steps" with all kinds of make-shift things that are really a 'cover-up', isn't it? As I was reading the story of Adam and Eve being tempted by the serpent this morning, I had the revelation of this "cover up" concept being a pretty OLD way of dealing with our short-coming! Truth is...we have been playing this 'blame game' for a long, long time!
Our "cover-ups" are nothing better than "makeshift clothes" - "cover-ups" that really don't hide all that well, aren't they? At best, they provide a "flimsy" excuse - a little 'covering' to let us have a few moments to regroup, get our stories straight, and then craft one excuse after another. Think about it - Adam and Eve had to likely remake their quickly made 'cover-ups' time and time again because leaves just don't last! Neither do our excuses! Any time we try to cover up our failures, we are trying to "make do" with our short-comings. We "improvise" - or as some may say - we try to jury-rig our "fix". I found myself suggesting the use of silicone tape to cover over something that I couldn't quite figure out how to fix the right way. This may not seem like much to you, but if you know anything about the right way to fix a leaky pipe, that isn't it! The proper "fix" would be to totally dig up the sprinkler pipe to find out where the leak was occurring and then to get the replacement parts to glue it together properly.
Healing only begins when we submit our failures to the one who can do something about them - he does way more than apply a little 'quick heal tape'. Healing began when Adam and Eve finally admitted their "naked" condition to God - explaining WHY they felt the need to cover-up. We do all kinds of things to cover our "naked" condition of soul that sin leaves us with - yet nothing adorns us in the same way as grace! Why does grace "fit" us so well as a "cover" for our sinfulness? Simply because grace is "formed" on the frame of all Christ did at the Cross. If you have ever sewed, or watched a seamstress in their craft, you will know the purpose of the "form" they use to pattern a dress. The "form" helps them provide an end-product which is beautifully "form-fitting" and uniquely designed for the individual. The Lord "form-fits" grace using the form of Christ as the "model" by which grace is made a specific 'fit' to our need! Every time I have asked God to "outfit" me with his grace, I feel so well-adorned, like it just "fits" me like a glove! When he sees me, he sees Christ. I don't know how this all works, but I do trust him to "outfit" me with the best for my life - and the "outfitting" begins whenever I stop trying to "outfit" myself with my makeshift excuse of a "covering" for my misguided responses to life's issues!
How about you? Have you considered how you are adorned today? If you have been 'settling' for the makeshift coverings that you can somehow 'craft' yourself, you may want to consider the one God has designed on the form of Christ - the one marked "MY grace is sufficient for YOUR need"! You'll love the fit! Just sayin!
How are you doing with this 'blame' thing? Maybe hit the snooze button one too many times because of a rough night, then blame your tardiness at work on being "caught in traffic"...really, who was to blame? Perhaps a deadline passed without your work being finished, while your online shopping is all complete, and you excuse it away with just how "busy" you have been...really, who was to blame? It is silly how we try to "cover up" our little "missed steps" with all kinds of make-shift things that are really a 'cover-up', isn't it? As I was reading the story of Adam and Eve being tempted by the serpent this morning, I had the revelation of this "cover up" concept being a pretty OLD way of dealing with our short-coming! Truth is...we have been playing this 'blame game' for a long, long time!
Our "cover-ups" are nothing better than "makeshift clothes" - "cover-ups" that really don't hide all that well, aren't they? At best, they provide a "flimsy" excuse - a little 'covering' to let us have a few moments to regroup, get our stories straight, and then craft one excuse after another. Think about it - Adam and Eve had to likely remake their quickly made 'cover-ups' time and time again because leaves just don't last! Neither do our excuses! Any time we try to cover up our failures, we are trying to "make do" with our short-comings. We "improvise" - or as some may say - we try to jury-rig our "fix". I found myself suggesting the use of silicone tape to cover over something that I couldn't quite figure out how to fix the right way. This may not seem like much to you, but if you know anything about the right way to fix a leaky pipe, that isn't it! The proper "fix" would be to totally dig up the sprinkler pipe to find out where the leak was occurring and then to get the replacement parts to glue it together properly.
Healing only begins when we submit our failures to the one who can do something about them - he does way more than apply a little 'quick heal tape'. Healing began when Adam and Eve finally admitted their "naked" condition to God - explaining WHY they felt the need to cover-up. We do all kinds of things to cover our "naked" condition of soul that sin leaves us with - yet nothing adorns us in the same way as grace! Why does grace "fit" us so well as a "cover" for our sinfulness? Simply because grace is "formed" on the frame of all Christ did at the Cross. If you have ever sewed, or watched a seamstress in their craft, you will know the purpose of the "form" they use to pattern a dress. The "form" helps them provide an end-product which is beautifully "form-fitting" and uniquely designed for the individual. The Lord "form-fits" grace using the form of Christ as the "model" by which grace is made a specific 'fit' to our need! Every time I have asked God to "outfit" me with his grace, I feel so well-adorned, like it just "fits" me like a glove! When he sees me, he sees Christ. I don't know how this all works, but I do trust him to "outfit" me with the best for my life - and the "outfitting" begins whenever I stop trying to "outfit" myself with my makeshift excuse of a "covering" for my misguided responses to life's issues!
How about you? Have you considered how you are adorned today? If you have been 'settling' for the makeshift coverings that you can somehow 'craft' yourself, you may want to consider the one God has designed on the form of Christ - the one marked "MY grace is sufficient for YOUR need"! You'll love the fit! Just sayin!
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