Monday, August 9, 2010

Tiger, Mel and Me

I do not like writing this blog entry. There. I said it. I do not like writing this particular blog entry because unless you have been in a cave lately, you know that Tiger's life is a mess, Mel, well, he is a mess as well, and Paul, yep, me, that one, is a mess too.


How does it happen that people do stupid things? How is it that we all "fall short of the glory of God"? And, I know what you are probably thinking, "what did Paul do?" No big announcements of gross sin forthcoming. No tales of lurid affairs, running around with shady characters, and no videos of me doing something I should not be doing. But, I do have to tell you, my life and my actions are far from perfect. I get mad a people who drive slowly in the "speed lane". I get impatient when things do not go as I think they should. I think less of people than God does way too often. I feel entitled to many things when I have no "right" or reason to feel that way. My thoughts are at times not like Christ. I fall short. Way short. The only difference is  . . . my life does not play out on a camera like Tiger's and Mel's life do. I can pretty much travel the world and may see a few people who know who I am, but for all practical purposes, I am an unknown.

But . . .there is One who knows me well. He knows my thoughts. He knows my actions. He knows my heart. My life is always on camera in front of Him. No thing I think, say or do is out of eye sight, earshot, or ever out of His realm of knowing my motives regardless of the outward expression. I am always on His camera.

So . . . I need grace. I used to think that as I would grow older I would need less grace from Him. Dumb of me really. I do not think God doses out grace like we think He does. He just gives. And I need it. I need His grace to save me from myself. And, I need to remember that when someone falls, messes up, sins, crashes and burns, that is when we see His grace manifested. Not that grace is not there before, but it comes to light.

I need grace. The more I understand Him and grow in love with Him, the more grace I realize I need. He is the gracious, righteous and Almighty One. I choose less of me and all of Him. May that be my continual choice as long as He graces me with breath.

3 comments:

Jeffery Stockdale said...

Great post Paul, we all need help! Thanks for the reminder that I am a mess also!

Mike Lovato said...

Love the post. I too used to think I would need grace less. At least I used to think that at some point I'd have it all together. But as I grow older I'm more aware than ever of how much I don't. I suppose that means a greater understanding of grace.

faithrunner said...

Me, too. thanks for the reminder!