What it all comes down to

I have been processing a lot recently...scripture...books...personal thoughts/beliefs...doctrine. As I have processed through the different things the Lord keeps bringing me back to the same place... Love.

God is love and everything opposite of Him and His glory is sin. He hates sin. He passionately hates sin.

Yet, His love for us was greater than His hatred of sin.

This morning in church, I was reminded how He lavishes grace upon me and I am to return that same grace to those around me...even when they sin. God is the righteous judge...the ONLY righteous judge. We are not to judge...we are to extend the same love and grace that was extended to us.

This was a huge reminder for me because there are several people in my life right now that I am struggling to love. The Lord calls us to "Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you." Colossians 3:13. The greatest command is "Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.” Matthew 22:37

The Lord continues to work this out in me as He shows me the importance of living my life above reproach but making sure that is marked by love, grace and mercy and not condemnation. I should be focused on be rightly related to Him day by day and trust Him to work in the people around me. I love what Oswald Chambers says:
"The snare in Christian work is to rejoice in successful service, to rejoice in the fact that God has used you. You never can measure what God will do through you if you are rightly related to Jesus Christ. Keep your relationship right with Him, then whatever circumstances you are in, and whoever you meet day by day, He is pouring rivers of living water through you, and it is of His mercy that He does not let you know it. It is the work that God does through us that counts, not what we do for Him."

I want my gaze to be fixed upon Him moment by moment so that I can be "be poured out like a drink offering"(Philippians 2:17) so that my "left hand (will not) know what your right hand is doing, so that your giving may be in secret"(Matthew 6:3-4)