A Partaker of Grace. Phillipians 1:7

  "Just as it is right for me to think this of you all, because I have you in my heart, inasmuch as both in my chains and in the defense and confirmation of the gospel, you all are partakers with me of grace." NKJV
  "So it is right that I should feel as I do about all of you, for you have a special place in my heart. You share with me the special favour of God, both in my imprisonment and in defending and confirming the truth of the Good News." JCB

  There's a part in the book, The Shack, that has stuck with me over the years. God is talking about a person and He declares, "I especially love him."  There was some confusion about this seeming hierarchy of His love so He clarifies, "I love all My children especially."
 
  I think there is a human tendency to be awfully hard on ourselves. I don't know if it's because of how we are rewarded for being first and "punished" for being last. (Although today's trend in the education system of rewarding mediocrity so no one feels left out is a disturbing practice because how are today's children going to learn resiliency?) Do school grades, work performance bonuses, getting our drivers licences or what's in our bank account feed into the skewed idea of what being loveable looks like? Do these things shape our understanding of what is acceptable and what is not?

  I came across a little poem by Anne McCaffrey,

Who wills,

Can.

Who tries,

Does.

Who loves,

lives.

 

  Sorry, Anne, the second last line doesn't quite fit. I feel it should have been,

 

 "Who fails, lives."

 

  Hmm, now I have to rethink what failure is! All because my own "success scale" has a way of sneaking up on me. And, I confess, I can be awfully hard on myself. Forgive me for that, my Lord. :)

  Just think what it takes to learn how to walk! Yes, there will be bumps! Yes, there will be bruises!

 

  Is it really failure when our mistakes draw us nearer to God for comfort? Is it failure when we reach out to Jesus to help us be better people than we are? Is it failure when we can be aware of our flaws yet set them aside through the healing balm of God's truth? Is it failure when we are drawn into a closer relationship with Him because of His limitless grace; His ability to forgive us when we ask that's taught again and again in His awesome and amazing Book?

 

  "To him who overcomes I will give to eat from the tree of life, which is in the midst of the Paradise of God." Rev 2:7