June 23, 2009

“I’m leaving you well and whole. That’s my parting gift to you. Peace. I don’t leave you the way you’re used to being left — feeling abandoned, bereft.” John 14:26-27 The Message

Does your life leave a “parting gift” …? 

It should … Jesus left us a few “things” to fight this day to day Kingdom revolution. He left us his Peace … his wholeness that fills in the abandoned places and the  empty-lost places. We all have those places .. young, old, hard-living, safe-living, risk-takers, risk-avoiders, stained-pasts, present struggles, secret-battles, visibly battle-scarred … places that need the Whole-making Peace of Jesus. He could have left you a few formulas for day to day living … but … he didn’t. He left you Who He is: Prince of Wholeness. He spoke it two thousand years ago and speaks it today. Jesus speaks Peace .. his peace .. his abiding presence .. his always promise that you will never be orphaned. So … You can quit trying to please God … to get on his good side … to look religious … to being a law-man or law-woman. All your rule-keeping will not give you an advantage .. no matter how hard you try to convince yourself. You can’t act religious enough today for God to owe you. So … You can quit trying to make God work for you today. You can let Jesus show you how to live .. in real peace .. on the inside and on the outside. You can ask God to enable you with His grace … His truth … His ways … His peace … and He will. You can ask Him for the gift that Jesus left. It is the same gift He left 12 wandering resurrection wonders that had to learn just like you that they could not “do” life on their terms and in their strength. So … You can quit trying today and let Jesus live His life in you. Is it too simple? Well maybe … but Jesus knows exactly how to keep his promise to you. It only takes a moment …

“What actually took place is this: I tried keeping rules and working my head off to please God, and it didn’t work. So I quit being a “law man” so that I could be God’s man. Christ’s life showed me how, and enabled me to do it.” Galatians 2:19- The Message

Ken Chester: Grace-Gripped is sent M-F to Followers of Jesus and friends of Priority One (ken@priorityone.org)