The Grace Narrative

One of the most important steps in making the greatest impact in a piece of creative work is successful editing. Taking out anything that distracts from the impact of the piece is essential. In this episode, we are going to talk about that truth as it relates to our lives and our calling and trusting God with His power to edit.

Do you have an ideal version of yourself? Honestly, I get discouraged about the discrepancy between my Ideal Self and Actual Self! Today, I want to talk about how to reconcile the difference between Ideal You and Actual You- and the work of grace that allows God's purpose to be brought about in that tension.

Assignments are roles, tasks, projects, jobs, work...that are given to us for a portion of time. While our identity as a redeemed Christ follower and the lifelong calling he places on us, do not end, assignments do. Many times our assignments are like puzzle pieces. We don't always know how it all fits together, but in time we see how it contributed to the whole plan.

I like the way O.S. Guinness phrases it when he says calling is the fusion of being and becoming. God in His grace is always at work in us. This requires a complete surrender, not only of our strengths, but also our weaknesses. Today we will learn about finding your calling in the place where your talents and burdens collide.

I have a theory about why we are susceptible to an identity crisis and I believe it's because we put calling and duty before identity. In other words we make our identity to be about what we do rather than who we are. The result puts us in a tailspin when our circumstances change or a role ends. I want to start a 3 part series on Identity, Calling, and Assignment. Today's episode establishes the foundation of identity as the first step and the very core in being who God created us to be.

I saw a quote that hits the nail on the head as far as what we are talking about and it's this: "If you're brave enough to say goodbye, life will reward you with a new hello." That struck a chord with me because I read that just as I was starting a new job. I was reminded again of how important it is to have courage in the transitions of life.

God cares too much for us to let us struggle forever with misconceptions about His salvation. His love and grace are ongoing ministries in our lives. Maybe you have felt the internal angst of inaccurate beliefs that need to be released. As I share about my experience in this episode, I pray that you grasp the great hope of His unconditional acceptance of you today.

One of the gifts of grace in our lives is relationships. Everyone can agree that quality relationships play an important role in having an abundant life. But the way in which those connections are built can vary quite a bit from person to person. Becoming aware of your style in relating to others can go a long way in strengthening the bond you have with those you are closest to and forming new ones. It can also help you understand people that relate differently than you do.

So much of maturing as a person has to do with getting rid of limiting beliefs and damaging judgments that we don't even realize have been holding us back. As many of us are considering new goals right now, I think it is a good time to address "secret rules". Through past experiences and personality flaws, we may be unaware that these slogans we live by internally are hidden in the heart of our being and have never been consciously evaluated by the standard of truth. Depending on the Lord in His grace to root out our secret rules will allow us to embrace God's way in the everyday.

Today we are going to delve into setting goals while looking through the lens of our focus word for the new year that addresses the needs of our mind, body and spirit, while pursuing our vision with godly ambition.