Day 9
A Fresh Start EVERY Day
The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases;
His mercies never come to an end;
they are new every morning;
great is Your faithfulness.
Lamentations 3:22-23
As men of faith we are called to be ambassadors of Christ (Cor 5:20) and we’re called to live a life worthy of our calling (Ephesians 4:1).
That’s a high standard, which feels overwhelming to live up to on our own.
Perhaps such a high calling may cause us to feel a pressure to be close to perfect with our lives, our speech, our behaviours - all of the time.
Many of the excellent men in the MANKIND group are an inspiration to us. You don’t have to go too far in community to find men of deep spirituality, supreme skill and Godly character. However, not one of us are perfect ambassadors all of the time. Even Pastor Mark shares with us that he is ‘the president of the messed up club' in a way that acknowledges our brokenness even though we are devoted to God.
These feelings of not hitting the standard can cause us to believe we’re not worthy of God's love and call. Lots of us find it hard to forgive ourselves when we don’t live up to our own expectations and hopes, let alone those of God.
I want to encourage you today that God knows the situation, knows our heart and has made a way for us.
Firstly, we qualify for this Godly life through Jesus' finished work on the cross. It was never our good deeds that pulled us into a new divine walk with God. We are a new creation in Christ made for good works.
So stop worrying and dwelling on your mistakes, they have been paid for on the cross.
Secondly, we need to understand that we are in a process. Whilst we are secure in our eternal destination, we do continue to work out our salvation in this life. The apostle Paul writes that we are being changed from glory to glory, being transformed to be more like Christ. And that we are continually being reconciled to God and each other. It's an ongoing work that will continue throughout our lifetime.
So stop beating yourself up for not being perfect, dust yourself off, learn your lessons and go again.
So how do reconcile the Godly brilliance we each carry with our human failings and mistakes, without going mad?!
* Trust in Jesus for our worthiness and qualifications to be ambassadors, and not ourselves.
* Keep a short account with the Lord, coming back to Him in confession and prayer as soon as possible. Sin will always actively be looking to separate you from the Lord's goodness. Don’t dwell on your mistakes, even a title-winning team will suffer some losses along the way.
* Stay in community with each other, not in competition with each other.
The MANKIND community is such a powerful place for us to be. I know that since joining this community I have been greatly inspired in my faith but also challenged to not be an island and try to have everything sorted by myself, to have it all together on every front. The prayer times have thought me to be vulnerable with other men and to see the power of God released into situations that previously I would have suffered in alone.
This group is stacked with friends who will lift you up, brothers who will challenge you to be better and men who delight in proclaiming the goodness of God.
The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases;
His mercies never come to an end;
they are new every morning;
great is Your faithfulness.
Lamentations 3:22-23
The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases;
His mercies never come to an end;
they are new every morning;
great is Your faithfulness.
Lamentations 3:22-23
As men of faith we are called to be ambassadors of Christ (Cor 5:20) and we’re called to live a life worthy of our calling (Ephesians 4:1).
That’s a high standard, which feels overwhelming to live up to on our own.
Perhaps such a high calling may cause us to feel a pressure to be close to perfect with our lives, our speech, our behaviours - all of the time.
Many of the excellent men in the MANKIND group are an inspiration to us. You don’t have to go too far in community to find men of deep spirituality, supreme skill and Godly character. However, not one of us are perfect ambassadors all of the time. Even Pastor Mark shares with us that he is ‘the president of the messed up club' in a way that acknowledges our brokenness even though we are devoted to God.
These feelings of not hitting the standard can cause us to believe we’re not worthy of God's love and call. Lots of us find it hard to forgive ourselves when we don’t live up to our own expectations and hopes, let alone those of God.
I want to encourage you today that God knows the situation, knows our heart and has made a way for us.
Firstly, we qualify for this Godly life through Jesus' finished work on the cross. It was never our good deeds that pulled us into a new divine walk with God. We are a new creation in Christ made for good works.
So stop worrying and dwelling on your mistakes, they have been paid for on the cross.
Secondly, we need to understand that we are in a process. Whilst we are secure in our eternal destination, we do continue to work out our salvation in this life. The apostle Paul writes that we are being changed from glory to glory, being transformed to be more like Christ. And that we are continually being reconciled to God and each other. It's an ongoing work that will continue throughout our lifetime.
So stop beating yourself up for not being perfect, dust yourself off, learn your lessons and go again.
So how do reconcile the Godly brilliance we each carry with our human failings and mistakes, without going mad?!
* Trust in Jesus for our worthiness and qualifications to be ambassadors, and not ourselves.
* Keep a short account with the Lord, coming back to Him in confession and prayer as soon as possible. Sin will always actively be looking to separate you from the Lord's goodness. Don’t dwell on your mistakes, even a title-winning team will suffer some losses along the way.
* Stay in community with each other, not in competition with each other.
The MANKIND community is such a powerful place for us to be. I know that since joining this community I have been greatly inspired in my faith but also challenged to not be an island and try to have everything sorted by myself, to have it all together on every front. The prayer times have thought me to be vulnerable with other men and to see the power of God released into situations that previously I would have suffered in alone.
This group is stacked with friends who will lift you up, brothers who will challenge you to be better and men who delight in proclaiming the goodness of God.
The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases;
His mercies never come to an end;
they are new every morning;
great is Your faithfulness.
Lamentations 3:22-23