Monday, October 17, 2011

Your Quilt

You know the song, "Just the way you are," by Bruno Mars?
Of course you do.  If not, you can check it out on the link below this post.

In the song Bruno is singing to a woman and telling her, "'...Cause you're amazing just the way you are."

Did you know that when our father God looks at us He says the same thing?

Once you have accepted Jesus as your savior, God sees you through His blood.
He doesn't see your short comings and failings.
No, He sees you through the righteousness of Christ!

Jesus lived, died, and resurrected so that He would be the pardon for our sins!

You are so special to our Father God!
Even before the creation of the universe He knew your name.
When Jesus was dying on the cross He was thinking of you.

You, yes YOU, are So Special to our Daddy God that He sacrificed His Only Son so that you could accept Him and spend eternity together!


Here in Alabama the older ladies in rural areas get together and sow blankets called quilts.
These sowing meetings are called "quilting b's".
As they apply square after square to the quilt, the top of it starts to shape into beautiful patterns of contrasting colors and designs.
Once they are finished with the quilt they lift it up on a stand to work on the bottom side of it.

When you look up at the quilt from the underside you see all of the threads hanging down.
You notice the mistakes that were made in sowing.
Perhaps you would see a blood stain where you accidentally pricked yourself with a needle.
The imperfections and loose ends that need to be cut off are glaringly visible.

Picture for a moment with me that your life is a quilt.

When you look up at your quilt it is easy to see all of the mistakes you have made while sowing it.
You might notice the loose ends that need to be trimmed off.
You might see the painful stains that came from pricking yourself with the sowing needle.

Are there threads hanging down of opportunities missed?
Are there areas of your quilt that seem so disjointed that no one could understand them?

Here's the great news my friends:

God views the quilt that is your life from above.
He sees the top of your quilt, the beautiful product of fine craftsmanship.
The tapestry of colors unfold to reveal a unique yet astonishingly stunning work of art.

John, that sounds wonderful but why would God view our lives from the beautiful side of the quilt instead of the messy side with all of the issues?

Because, God sees your quilt, your life, through the perfect cleansing work of Jesus!

Once you accept Jesus as your savior your sins are washed away.
You take on the righteousness of Christ.
His sacrifice is the complete and final work to give you freedom!

Did you know that God doesn't even remember your sins?
They are cast in the sea of forgetfullness as far as the east is from the west.


Man looks at your outer appearance but God sees your heart!


He sees the brilliant experiences of His Grace and Mercy in your life. 
He sees the beautiful man or woman or transgendered person that He created!

He sees your hopes and dreams, the talents that He has blessed you with, the exciting destiny that He has laid before you.

But John, you don't know the sins I have committed!

It doesn't matter!
God doesn't view your righteousness through your own strength.
The word tells us that our righteousness is filthy rags.

God views your righteousness through the finished work that Jesus did on the cross!


John now that I know about this amazing grace and mercy and that the debt for my sins past, present, and future is already paid, is that going to make me want to sin more?


Knowing that your sins have already been forgiven isn't license to sin more.

Instead, it causes you to know that you can approach your Father God freely.


Build that close relationship with Him, focus on living in His presence, and you will find that you no longer want to commit those same sins that have held you back for years.

So, the next time you feel useless to God; the next time you feel like a mistake; remember that He views you through the Blood of Jesus.

He is looking at the beautiful side of your quilt and saying to you, "You're so  amazing, just the way you are."

As always remember:

God Loves You!
God Created You!
God Accepts You!

Until Next Time,

SavedByGrace

Just The Way You Are- Bruno Mars