Sent from my HTC Aria™ smartphone on AT&T
From: "A Slice of Infinity" <postmaster@ls.egen.net>
Date: Thu, May 26, 2011 3:13 am
Subject: [Slice 2470] Nothing Is Ordinary (Mary 26, 2011)
To: "jen grace" <grace.family@live.com>
| Having trouble reading this newsletter? Click here to view in browser. |
Nothing Is Ordinary Not long ago, my wife and I were trying to get our daughter admitted into a school. For many reasons, it was quite a challenging experience. We narrowed down our selections and set about the long process of getting her enrolled. As we were about to enter yet another school building, I found myself thinking about how often we consider ourselves the masters of our own futures. We make choices in so many areas—are we not in charge? A sharp person knows that this is not entirely true. We do not decide where we are born, our nationality, our family, our gender, or even our facial features. Moreover, there are also many times when our own lives depend on someone else's choice. Though we chose the school where we would like to see our child admitted, we cannot ensure that the school will choose her. School officials find themselves with a pool of candidates, all of whom they will evaluate, and not all of whom will be admitted. Thus, we wait and see if our daughter is chosen by the school for enrollment. Christians take a certain comfort in knowing that God has chosen them. We are not in the kingdom because we are the most intelligent, but because God has chosen the foolish things of the world to shame the wise. We are not heirs because we are people of inherent honor, but because God extends to us his glory. We are not his children because we are strong, but because we are weak. Not only do these things prevent us from boasting in anything but Christ, they also offer us a confidence in living out our lives. The consequences are many. No longer do we need to be achievement-driven; we were not chosen because of some special ability or gifting. No longer do we need to please people for a sense of acceptance; we are the apple of God's eye. No longer do we need to fear the future, for we are held in the arms of one who holds everything in his hands. Despair and defeat need not rule our lives—not because we are go-getters and succeed at all costs—but because we are confident that God is using all that happens in our lives to weave a beautiful tapestry: "And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose" (Romans 8:28). For the Christian, to live as Christ's own is to live with the assurance that nothing can separate us from the love of God. And we also live with the reminder that nothing is ever really ordinary. As we go about the seemingly mundane and sometimes frustrating scenes in the drama of life, we are invited to see something greater in every scene. There is the hope of God's grace in all that confronts us. There is the comfort of God's omnipresence throughout the stories of our lives. Even in our shortfalls and bad choices God is still near, going about the gift of redemption, urging us onward toward the prize. And the God who begins a good work will be certain to bring it to completion.
Cyril Georgeson is a member of the speaking team with Ravi Zacharias International Ministries in Delhi, India.
| |
| Your privacy is extremely important to us. We will never sell or distribute your email to any third party. If you have questions or comments, email slice@sliceofinfinity.org. | |
Copyright (c) 2011 Ravi Zacharias International Ministries (RZIM) | |
A Slice of Infinity is aimed at reaching into the culture with words of challenge, words of truth, and words of hope. If you know of others who would enjoy receiving A Slice of Infinity in their email box each day, tell them they can sign up on our website at www.rzim.org/Slice | |
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
|
No comments:
Post a Comment