Inside Out Living

I am constantly blown away by the gospel. It is hard for me to understand why people aren't jumping for joy every single day, like the man who went walking and leaping and praising God after he was healed.

For this is what Jesus has done for me. He saw me...He sees me now, just as I am. He knows all about me. He knows my thoughts, my words, my actions. He knows why I do what I do, and how I fail to do those things I know I ought to do.

And get this: HE LOVES ME! He approves of me. He is on my side. He helps me, He guides me, He whispers to me, He hedges me in, behind and before. He never, ever leaves me.

This is really, really good news. No matter what I face, no matter if my children are mad at me or my friends don't call or I don't get the laundry done or my neck hurts from picking the chicken off the bones for soup, I am deeply and thoroughly loved by the only ONE who really matters.

We all seek approval. We want to be recognized for our talents. We want to be acknowledged for our abilities. We long to be loved, truly loved, just the way we are. We go through life doing our best, but we always know deep down that we haven't quite measured up.

The good news is we don't have to! We'll never be able to. We can't do it. We're deeply flawed, and we'll never be that person we want to be - a perfect parent, a righteous child, a holy Christian, a loving friend.

The good news is that Jesus did it! He was the perfect Son of Righteousness. He lived that life on our behalf, and He died the death I deserved so that I might live.

Here is a message by Tim Keller that is worth listening to. If ever you've tried to live a godly life, but failed; if ever you've looked down on someone else for not measuring up to your standards, if ever you've tried your best to witness but come away discouraged and perplexed... here is a message for you. Stop trying to live a perfect life! You can't do it. Just be thankful that Jesus did live that perfect life on your behalf. Live from the inside out!