EMBRACE THE UNFORCED RHYTHM OF GRACE

 By Rev. Michael Benson Ajayi
Matt 11:29 “ Walk with me and work with me — watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won't lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you.”
         Religion places the burden of salvation on humanity ; it demands a rigorous engagement in endless rituals (sacrifices, cleansing, fasting, pilgrimages,deliverances etc)   in a bid to gain God's acceptance.However, according to God’s plan, our salvation is by grace through faith in Christ. Under the New Testament, the burden of salvation rests solely on God and all glory goes to Him (Titus 2:13-14) TLB  says "... our great God and Savior Jesus Christ. ...died under God's judgment against our sins so that he could rescue us from constant falling into sin and make us his very own people, with cleansed hearts and real enthusiasm for doing kind things for others."
            God is not moved by our religious zeal and displays (Col 2:19-23) all that is needed is faith working by love; without faith it is impossible to please Him. Faith is our total reliance on God and is a demonstration of our loyalty towards Him. The lack of it is tantamount to saying He isn’t trustworthy . The lack of faith is demonstrated through excessive spirituality which includes spending sleepless nights, food deprivation and other acts of self torture and neglect of one’s family and friends all in a bid to appear to be busy in the lord’s vineyard. This is the slavery mentality handed down by our forefathers most of whom were idol worshipers and tutors of the Old Testament.
         The scriptures say in Ps 127:1-2 NLT ” Unless the Lord builds a house, the work of the builders is wasted. Unless the Lord protects a city, guarding it with sentries will do no good. It is useless for you to work so hard from early morning until late at night, anxiously working for food to eat; for God gives rest to his loved ones.” God is the builder, not man, Jesus said in Matt 16:18NLT “ I will build my church, and all the powers of hell will not conquer it.” We are the church and He is presently engaged in a remodeling and construction work in our lives. It may not look like it but the truth is that God is working on the inside of you to bring about a glorious personality (Php 2:3).
      It is the religious desire to “be on fire for God” that has led to many preachers losing their lives and families as a result of neglect due to over involvement in  religious activities. Under the dispensation of grace whenever God gives an assignment, He empowers us with joy and godly enthusiasm to fulfill it (Col 1:29) . It isn’t by our strength. It is terrible to engage yourself in something that God has not called you to do. He might have but the timing is not yet right. You don’t need to force God neither does He need our help for anything. He is the potter and we are the clay.One of the greatest tragedies in life is to excel in a field that is not your calling. A sense of fulfillment and peace in the midst of crisis is a confirmation of God's call to a duty. 
        Grace (the power for the miraculous) is unforced. God loves us and is excited to help us. An example of this is the case of a woman whose daughter was under demonic oppression in Mark 7:25-30 Jesus taught her how to apply the power in God’s word in her situation and gave her a quick quiz and in verses 29-30 Jesus said “Good answer!" he said. "Now go home, for the demon has left your daughter." And when she arrived home, she found her little girl lying quietly in bed, and the demon was gone.”(NLT Bible). That’s how easy it is to cast out a demon. Our response to questions bothering on our faith in God’s word determines how fast we experience victory in any circumstance. The work prescribed by God is that we simply believe in His word (John6:29). If you believe, you will be at rest. Restlessness is indicative of not believing in God’s word (Heb4:5-6). As you receive Jesus Christ as lord and saviour and read this now receive wisdom to operate in the unforced rhythm of God’s grace.  
 Prayer/counseling +234 809 853 6911, +234 803 553 6911
Email: michaelbensonajayi@gmail.com
pics credit : pixabay .com

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