Truth Covered in Grace: Representing Jesus Well

As you already know of you are on this devotional, I close with “be nice, Grace wins”. I think we all know and hopefully u sweat and the “be nice”, but what about the “Grace wins”?Well, think about our lives and the experiences we have all learned from. Some of us have endured traumatic events in our lives and because of God’s grace, we have survived, been redeemed, and made completely new in Christ. This isn’t the case for everyone. The very pain and turmoil some have experienced is what led them to turn from God. Because of that, their viewpoint will look quite differently from ours as followers of Jesus. When we encounter people with a belief that is different to ours, we must understand that we're representing Jesus, and we might be the catalyst God uses to change their lives. This is where truth, covered in grace, comes in. Often, when people disagree with us, we get mad and we want to defend our beliefs and even our God. It’s in these moments where we can, and should, speak the truth, but simultaneously allow the Holy Spirit to lead us so that we won’t cave into our sinful desires. If we find ourselves in a discussion with someone who clearly has different beliefs than us, it’s okay to admit that we don't have all the answers. Lord knows I don’t. As followers of Jesus, we don’t know everything about God. If we did, we’d be Him. “You don’t have to know everything to believe in something” -Andy Stanley Ultimately, having people in our lives we don’t agree with actually makes us stronger. If we only surround ourselves with people we always agree with, we’ll never be stretched. As followers of Jesus, are we more passionate about our beliefs on certain hot topics that we forget that we’re to love others? If we’re more concerned with our stance than we are with loving the people God sent His Son to die for, then we have truly missed the mark. These desires can never outweigh our spiritual calling. If they do, we’re glorifying earthly issues instead of glorifying our Heavenly Father. “For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit.”Romans 8:5 Have a great weekend!Be Nice, Grace Wins