A Generous Life and a Pile of Stones

Sometimes I feel such a “screw-up”. I’ve made my fair share of mistakes and then some it seems.

The other day, I was talking to a friend that felt the same way and it reminded me of this story in the bible....

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The teachers of the law and the Pharisees brought in a woman caught in adultery. They made her stand before the group and said to Jesus, “Teacher, this woman was caught in the act of adultery. In the Law Moses commanded us to stone such women. Now what do you say?” They were using this question as a trap, in order to have a basis for accusing him.

But Jesus bent down and started to write on the ground with his finger. When they kept on questioning him, he straightened up and said to them, “Let any one of you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her.” Again he stooped down and wrote on the ground.

At this, those who heard began to go away one at a time, the older ones first, until only Jesus was left, with the woman still standing there. Jesus straightened up and asked her, “Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?”

“No one, sir,” she said.
“Then neither do I condemn you,” Jesus declared. “Go now and leave your life of sin.”

(Found in John Chapter 8)
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When I look back on different situations, I know I've been on both sides of the pile of rocks. I have been the one holding the stone, full of pride and judgment, wanting God to say it's okay for me to punish someone else.

I have also been the one who crumbles in fear as I wait to see what others are going to do to me because I messed up. I've tried to run and hide from God multiple times because my guilt makes me feel so ugly and so unworthy that I don't even want him to see my mess.

But this guilt is not from God. Guilt, feeling as though your worth has decreased because of something you've done, is the devils tool. He uses it to bring people to a place where they feel so unworthy to be with God that they distance themselves from him. The devil knows that God will never leave us, but he wants us to feel like we can't talk to Abba Father, that Daddy God is shunning us. When we choose to try to distance ourselves from God, the devil has more space to creep in and attack.

John 10:10 describes the devil as "the thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy". He's lurking there, just waiting for a chance to steal our peace, our joy, and our worth. Like a pick-pocket, the thief removes theses pieces, sometimes without us even knowing it was him, but instead we blame ourselves for not having them anymore.

For the next thirty days, Pastor Chris has challenged Citipointe Fort Collins to say yes to living a life of generosity, giving everytime there is a physical, spiritual, emotional or financial need because that is what the church, the body of Christ, should be doing. It's going to be amazing and life changing without a doubt. That's why I'm in.

But this morning, I think I caught a glimpse of something else God wants us to do. He wants us to be generous with our grace and forgiveness with everyone, including the person we see in the mirror. We have to stop condemning ourselves and others and giving the devil this foothold because we are angry (Ephesians 4:26-27).

So live generously. Give your time, your talent and your treasure. Love on people, forgive them, and flood the world with grace.

You are not condemned; YOU ARE LOVED. You are not chained to what you've done, are doing or will do; the cross paid for that, in full, FOR-EV-ER.