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Back in Kindergarten, in the year… well, in the first year of Southside Christian Academy, a private school that opened its doors at the South Baton Rouge Church of Christ, I was the only kindergartener. Margie Spradley taught the class with me and two 1st graders as her students. I loved school and I wanted to do all of what my classmates, the 1st graders were doing. Yep. Always the over-achiever. I still fight that battle as I continue to strive to do my best in all things.
That can be a good quality when “whatever you do, whether in word or deed” you do to God’s glory (Colossians 3:17). However, it can also lead to pride and a works-based, not grace-based faith.
But I’ve learned a few things over the years. It isn’t about how much I do or how good I look compared to my classmates, coworkers, friends, bosses, or enemies. It’s about His grace, not works (Ephesians 2:8-9). For His grace is sufficient for me and His power is made perfect in my weakness (II Corinthians 12:9-10).
May we all be reminded how far we come from a child-like perspective of works to a mature acceptance of grace. Now, a child-like faith… that is something we should strive for and something we’ll look at it next Thursday! ;)
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Oh the irony of declaring Wednesdays on this blog “Wake-up Wednesdays” because I am definitely in need of a wake-up type message today.
It’s the time of year when alarms get set a little earlier and when everyone starts getting back into the routine of school. I know… the word school probably just put some of you back to sleep. Sorry. For the past six fall semesters, I have spent the month of August doing the final gearing up for the initial activities of the LSU Christian Student Center and the campus ministry of the South Baton Rouge Church of Christ. There are always many new students to meet, returning students to greet, and non-stop activities that facilitate an environment to connect, grow and serve. My constant thoughts and prayers are with the LSUCSC and with all of the campus ministries, teachers, professors, and students that have been or will be heading back to school.
It’s a season of new beginnings. It’s a time of new (school) year’s resolutions. Whether this season of your life revolves around a school calendar or not, it is an opportunity to mark a new beginning. Remember the 1st day of school pictures? (I love all the ones I’m seeing on Facebook.) We didn’t do all of that growing and maturing overnight, in comparison to the previous year. The picture merely marks the anniversary of that growth. It was a process and one that goes by more and more quickly the older we get…
So take a moment today to thank God for all of the growth and maturing you’ve done over the past year and whether you make any official new school year’s resolutions or not, resolve to walk with God each and every day and allow Him to guide your steps, one at a time. I know I’m certainly not where I thought I would be a year ago. Almost every one of last year’s resolutions never came true, but I treasure the relationship with my Father that has grown and developed through the past year and I look forward to all the ways He will lead and guide me in the next year and season of life.
(Speaking of new beginnings, a very happy birthday to my mom who began a new school year with her students yesterday.)