Journey from stone-thrower to grace-giver

My sweet friend Christine has so willing agreed to share her heart with you all today. Her heart on grace. Grab your cup of coffee and commune with her:

Journey from stone-thrower to grace-giver:

I was never a big fan of grace.

Oh, I talked a good talk, I knew all of the lingo, but when it came down to living it, I was an utter failure. I loved rules, and measuring people, and criticizing. I expected absolute perfection of myself and those around me. I thought the way I believed and acted was the right way, and that God cared about the "right" way above all else.

All of this, of course, was deep inside me. The knee jerk reactions of a soul far from the place Jesus expected me to live in. I was inching farther from Him while I pursued my "perfect Christian living" in a cold and lonely country called "Judgement". I could quote you scripture, loved the Old Testament and the Paul of the New Testament-because they showed me what to do and how to behave. I still love them.

But now I see them through the lens of Jesus

Jesus, the true and humble and merciful Grace-Giver, changes everything.

"There is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. The law of the Spirit of Life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death."

Romans 8:1-2

How can we judge another when we see through His eyes?

Who are we to throw the first stone and keep on throwing?

I can feel the smoothness of the stones in my hand even now, my thumb rubbing its way around the perimeter feeling for the best places to grip. I remember well the pride of knowing I was right to be the thrower, that the target was in need of reprimand, of correction. Arrogance masked the truth, unsoftened by love, is a weapon wielded all too well and too frequently by those such as myself who want more than anything to be right.

"Words kill, words give life;

they're either poison or fruit,

you choose."

Proverbs 18

I choose the words that give life. I may not always have made that choice, but Jesus has freed me as well. Freed me to learn day by day to love as He loves, to bless instead of curse, to shed my shabby cloak of rules for His robe of righteousness-true righteousness that is not earned but given freely as gift.

Journey from stone-thrower to grace-giver

I encourage you to study Him. To see Him with new eyes, to read the gospels as if you were living in them. What you see of Jesus will amaze and humble you, as it did me.

Trade the stones in your hand for the open air of grace. It is a trade of infinite and divine significance. And you will never look back.

Don't forget to stop by Christine's blog Fruit in Season for more of her wisdom.