If I count myself more, behold Thou standest against me, and my iniquities bear true testimony, and I cannot gainsay it. But if I abase myself, and bring myself to nought, and shrink from all self-esteem, and grind myself to dust, which I am, Thy grace will be favorable unto me, and Thy light will be near unto my heart …
Thy bountiful and infinite goodness never ceaseth to do good even to ingrates and to those who are turned far from Thee. Turn Thou us unto Thyself, that we may be grateful, humble, and godly, for Thou art our salvation, our courage, and our strength.
(The Imitation of Christ by Thomas A. Kempis, The First Book, page 62-63)
Two short paragraphs can pack a wallop and provoke thoughts all day long. Such was the case when I read the above words.
Only in His Presence are we able to see ourselves as we truly are; we are enabled to see our sin and yet are not hopeless. “We are made right with God by placing our faith in Jesus Christ. And this is true for everyone who believes, no matter who we are. For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard. Yet God, with undeserved kindness, declares that we are righteous” (Romans 3:22-24, NLT). He declares us righteous, not because He must, but because He chose to give us His favor through His Son.
In loving Him, we lose ourselves and gain more that we could ever dare, hope, or ask. “If you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for my sake, you will save it” (Matthew 16:25, NLT). It is as we relinquish control, giving ourselves to radical abandon that we ultimately gain. “Now all glory to God, who is able, through his mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think” (Ephesians 3:20, NLT).
We have done nothing to merit all that He gives to us. “God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it” (Ephesians 3:8-9, NLT). Only God can keep us grateful, humble, and godly in this world which constantly tempts us to be ungrateful, proud, and of the world.
We must lose ourselves to gain all.
May we constantly come to Him –
“For Thou art our salvation, our courage, and our strength.”
Today I am joining … Thought Provoking Thursday and Grace Moments and #ChasingCommunity and Heart Encouragement Thursday and Tune In Thursday .
Joanne,
So thankful that God enables me to see my sin, yet doesn’t leave me hopeless. In losing myself, I gain Him. And, His grace is nothing I can earn – it is a gift He freely gives. I love that I serve a God who is totally counter culture and turns the world’s way of thinking on its head. Thank you so much for these beautiful reminders of his unfathomable love and mercy. Great way to start my day 🙂
Blessings sweet friend,
Bev xx
What a powerful statement: “In loving Him, we lose ourselves and gain more that we could ever dare, hope, or ask.” — Beautiful, Joanne. — We don’t always stop to appreciate that – He is enough. All that we need is in Him, and, we don’t even always realize it, but all that we *want* is in Him, as well. — Thank you Joanne for sharing these words of hope and peace with #ChasingCommunity this morning. ((xoxo))
Wow! These are some powerful words. Today may I make Him my all in all! Amen!
These words definitely carry a deep message. The message of surrender is so counter-intuitive, but so life-giving. Thanks for sharing Thomas A. Kempis with us.
Joanne – You are so right – a few paragraphs or even just a sentence or thought can provoke much thinking but pack a huge wallop as well. Eph 3:20 is one of my life verses.
I so appreciate your linking up with me at #TuneInThursday and I look forward to having you join me in the weeks ahead!
I love the words from that book, Joanne. I need to spend some time reading that again and remembering these truths. I am needing also, the reminder of trusting God. Thank you for this, friend. Thank you for sharing this with the #GraceMoments Community!
Love,
Dawn