Don't Set Aside the Grace of God

"I do not set aside the grace of God, for if righteousness could be gained through the law, Christ died for nothing!" Galations 2:21

I smiled as I read this verse today. I thought "haaaa!!! I knew it!" as I read it (although, please keep my heart pure and without pride, Lord!). What I'm going to tell you might strike you as odd, but it is 100% the truth. The weight I've lost has been the Lord's doing. He receives all the glory. When people tell me that I look good, I feel compelled to tell them that it has been an answer to prayer. That may sound like a trivial answer to some, but it is immensely important to me. I felt hopeless. I like to eat. I didn't even think I had time to exercise, let alone the energy or motivation to do so. I had bad genes, I reasoned. I had been heavy my whole life. I told myself that I was born to be the fat girl. I joked about it. I didn't care...but I really did care. I wanted to be thin, I've read enough to know that thinness comes from diet and exercise, but I wasn't able to put the two together. Nor did I feel like I even could. I felt trapped. And, I ate to make myself feel better about it. I ate when I was bored, I ate when I was happy, I ate when I was angry and I ate most moments in between. I didn't feel like it was wrong. I didn't realize it was sin. I didn't realize how much I was in bondage.

That said, I prayed. And I prayed. And then I prayed some more. In almost every prayer I would ask God for His help. I asked to be healthy and thin. In fact I still do. My three year old has heard it so much, I often hear him praying it (and he's actually underweight for his age!). All I heard from other people is "you reap what you sow." That is Biblical (in fact, I read the verse today). But, something in me also told me that God has come to heal the sick, not the well. I sensed that He was my only saving grace. So, I began to go to Bible study. And I continued to pray. And I began to re-wallpaper my heart with Scripture. And I prayed and asked.

And soon the weight started to come off. I'm not sure how. But, I do know this: Christ died for my sin. Christ died for our sin, I should say. His victory on the cross wasn't just for the 'big' sins. It was all sin. If Jesus could heal me and forgive me for my sin and teach me a new way of life, I believed I could be healed. I started trusting Him and putting my faith in Him. I hadn't changed my habits yet, I simply asked Him to make me thin. And I would hear over and over again that God helps those who helped themselves. I wish I would have had this verse at the time. "...if righteousness could be gained by the law, then Christ died for nothing." We simply can't set aside the grace of God.

I don't deserve God's grace. I'm a sinner. I got myself into this mess of looking the way I do through my own actions and sin. I needed to repent. I didn't think I could change. But, I realize now that Christ won the victory on Calvary...and by God's grace, He can change us. He can make us new. He can heal our hearts, change our minds and transform our bodies. And He's God. He can choose to heal us even when we don't deserve it. After all, it's His grace to give. I'm so thankful for His grace I could cry. Instead, I think I'll praise. I happened to turn on a song about Christmas today (which I normally don't do this early in the season) but the song was upbeat (not a typical Christmas tune) and it talked about the hope that Jesus gives. What joy came from His birth, knowing that men could find peace and be reconciled to God. Once again, the awe that surrounds Jesus struck me. I am so thankful. There's nothing else I can do but worship and praise.

And, I can testify that His saving grace works. He came to heal the sick. He didn't die for nothing...He died to heal you and me. If you're feeling hopeless, let Him take on the battle for you. Simply take your cares to an all-knowing and all-loving God. May you be freed by His grace!

Dear Jesus, once again I must thank You for the cross. Once again I'm humbled at the thought of You coming to earth in human form to die for my sin. Once again I bow down and worship You for the work You did to save a wretch like me. Lord, I'm inspired. I'm awestruck. I don't even know what to say. But, I thank You that it's by Your grace and not the law that we're saved. I thank You that You made a way to save people who can't save themselves. I thank You that when You were raised from the dead, You showed that You have the authority to set us free. And, I thank You that You love us enough to forgive our sin and change our lives. Lord, I humbly ask once again for Your grace... please save me from this sin, please help me change my ways, please make me healthy and thin for Your ultimate glory and use me in Your kingdom plan. I love You, Lord Jesus. Make me more like You. In Your name we pray, AMEN!