Jonah 3-4

I'm joining the lovely ladies of SheReadsTruth as we finish out Jonah this week.

*************************************

People are beautiful.

Through different means lately, the Lord has been opening my eyes to the beauty and uniqueness of people. And that all people are made in His image.

Living in such a sin sick world, filled with great evil and atrocities, it has become easy for me to see the negative and ugliness in (some) people. Even become callused to them. Callused to their need for Jesus.

After studying Jonah 3-4, it's pretty safe to say that Jonah was callused to the Ninevites. They were some of the most awful people in the world and why on earth would God show mercy and grace to them?! It just didn't make sense!

It doesn't appear that Jonah's heart ever changed toward the people of Ninevah, either. Sure, he obeyed God and gave the message God wanted him to give to the Ninevites. But then he camped outside the city, waiting, in pride and anger, for God to cast down His judgement on the people of Ninevah.

How often do we do we mimick the mindset Jonah had toward the Ninevites?! We see the evil of others, the sin in their life, and see no reason God should ever bestow His grace and mercy to them. Living life as a Christian, it can be easy to fall into complacency, legalism & a judgmental attitude. But that is NOT what Jesus brings to the world!

Jesus brings love, hope, freedom! And as His child, it is my job (just like it was Jonah's job) to point people to Jesus, not point out their faults. Because let's face it, I have a mess of imperfections I need to work on long before I call anybody else out.
So, who can I love like Jesus today? Who can you love like Jesus today?

Source

Follow me

Instagram/Facebook/Twitter/Pinterst/Bloglovin'

Grace through hurt

How do you handle hurt? I'm talking about hurt in your heart from somebody very close to you? Over the past couple of months, I have been dealing with hurt like this. And it hasn't been easy.

It's almost unchartered territory for this friendship. Sure, in the past I have experienced hurt and broken friendships, but it's different when it happens from an unlikely source. As I've been praying through the situation, I've concluded that there are two different paths I can take when dealing with this hurt and moving forward: 1) I can dwell on it or 2) I can use it to become a better friend to others. I think option 2 sounds better, although, up to this point, I've been living option 1.

Like I talked about in this post, grace is so important to any relationship. God has lavishly poured grace out on me, and continues to pour it out on me daily. Therefore, the best way I can show God's love to others is to bestow that grace on others-even, and especially, when it's hard. Because really, if I haven't needed that grace yet, I certainly will in the future.

This doesn't mean the hurt I'm feeling is void or shouldn't be addressed. It absolutely should be addressed. But, it does mean that I need to remember that we all make mistakes and cause hurt, whether intentional or unintentional.

What are some of your favorite/best ways to deal with hurt and disappointment in your relationships?

Until next time,
Kristal