Apart from God I am NOTHING/ What a good place to be

I am told that my blogs come across all black and white and lack the grace needed for people to hear the truth without becoming defensive. Well, if there are any out there that read my blogs, please remember, always, that your worth/power/ and security come from God and can in no way be affected by the fact that you are way worse than you think. I guess we don’t want out worth to come only from God. Still grace saved a wretch like me, (Amazing Grace, John Newton) in spite of the fact that without him I can do nothing, (John 15:5) in spite of all my “righteousness” being filthy rags (Isaiah 64:6), in spite of , all things, being but, cow manure, in comparison to the knowledge of Christ Jesus our Lord. (Philippians 3:8) Still “Nothing in my hands I bring, simply to thy cross I cling.” (Rock of Ages by Augustus Toplady)

I need to remember the fact that bitterness comes from trudging the first mile, blessing comes from walking the second mile. If I begrudgingly admit that, “Perhaps I might have some blind spots, no one is perfect after all but I thank God that I sure am better than most,” then, being a double minded man (Wanting wisdom while fighting the lessons and feedback needed to get wisdom) I should not expect to get anything from God. (James 1:1-8) [How’s that for a run on sentence?]

No I must walk the second mile which is to hit bottom and not only admit but let the Holy Spirit show me that I am the chief of sinners. I Timothy 1:18) (Sorry Paul, you have been displaced.) that I am totally powerless, that my ways are not his ways, my thoughts are not his thoughts and that now and forever, the goodness that flows from my life will go entirely to show the power and mercy and love of Jesus my boss and friend and savior.

The resulting blessing will be continual growth and he increases in me and I decrease. (There can be NO growth without admitting the need and accepting the feedback and lessons that bring growth.) Blessings of ministry to others, blessings of not burning out because I am getting out of his way and letting him do it, blessings of resting in the fact that he knows me, really knows me and loves me any how.

I human relationships, most of the people I meet are not interested in knowing me, then they may be fascinated or attracted to what I might do for them, then they are repulsed by the real me and leave but seldom do we experience someone really knowing us and liking us anyhow. If you have a spouse or friend like that, you are blessed.

I had a Christian student once who was hard working, brilliant, honest, creative and even beautiful. She followed me around for a while but could not accept that all her, ‘strengths” did not count to make her superior to others. I never heard from her again. I had a friend who struggled with OCD and found much relief in the ideas of grace. She said, “I give God 50% of the credit, and you 30% and just keep 20% for myself.” I begged her to give all 100% to God and just keep the blessing. She could not and fell back into her anxious ways.

Well now you can see what they are talking about in regards to my writing being too black and white to be tolerated. Actually I am way to co-dependant nice guy, , it is the Bible that beats us all up. So what can I do?