Have you ever had your mind blown? How about continuously detonated, like being on the street in London during WWII? I certainly have.
What caused the spontaneous combustion of my medulla oblongata, you ask? Why a book of course.
My parents taught me long ago (I know I am not that old but go with it) that all knowledge that is worth knowing is written down somewhere. Unfortunately in our, McDonalds, have it your way, right now!, culture, the written word is not featured as it once was. My mother taught me the love of words. She was a bible scholar and my home schoolteacher. (Cracking the whip, hitting with foreign objects, and choke holds were used, and not by me, most definitely on me). I also credit my mother with teaching me the love of God’s Word.
I read rapidly. I devour information at a very high rate. I was just not prepared for the devastation to my worldview from a very unassuming book, The Grace of God by Andy Stanley.
Andy Stanley is the son of a pastor who started his own church in Atlanta. The church is called North Point Community Church, www.northpoint.org. There is nothing fancy or standout in his story. However, if anyone else reads the Bible that I read, God loves to use the humble people to do magnificent things.
In this book Andy lays out the story of God’s grace. I was woefully unprepared for how this would land in my dry soul. Like many other people I try to be good. I work hard, push myself, and try to be good enough for God. I always fail. I cannot be good enough, ever. But, the glutton for punishment that I am, I constantly try. Even though I understand that the bible tells us that Jesus took the punishment for us, I still feel the need to earn it. Don’t you ever catch yourself thinking or doing something to be worthy in God’s sight?
The Grace of God just wrecked my ship entirely. Every chapter was amazing. Andy held my hand and walked me though bible stories that we all know, but never catch the grace God laid out for us to see. I felt like I was on a personal tour of God’s amazing grace.
In one chapter Andy ends with a prayer. A very simple prayer. It goes like this. “I can’t do stop doing _____________, But God, you can. Amen”. Andy then asked that you pray this out loud. I did. Then I cried.
I had finally realized something really wonderful about God. Due to my humble human state, I can never be good enough. It is a good thing that God doesn’t want that. What God wants is for us to ask for help. That’s it. He wants to give us help. I had been trying all this time to do it on my own. I was an idiot. God gives us grace every day, so we can make it though.
Read the book. It has so much more than I could cover here. Besides, Andy explains it way better that I ever could. Just stop banging your head on the wall. Learn from one who now knows (proved by the several dents and scars in said head). Allow God to help you instead. I highly recommend it.
