May #jammed: Growing Grace.

Day 136: Fleeting time. 

“Listen, my son, and be wise,
    and set your heart on the right path” Proverbs 23:19 (NIV)

There are some amusement park rides I used to be able to handle better than others. The tilt-o-whirl is one of those rides. Cannot handle it at all. I will ride it, but it’s embarrassing.

It makes me scream like an idiot …my kids think it’s hysterical.

I’m fine with the mild spinning …but when it jerks me completely out of my time zone I feel like I’m going to throw up and pee all at once. Thankfully, the tilt-o-whirl only spins for a little over a minute.

Some situations in life are not so forgiving, and some situations spin out of control. Today’s verse reminds us to guard our hearts in order to avoid spinning out.

“Listen, my son, be wise,
    and steer your life on the right course.
 Do not spend time with heavy wine drinkers
    or those who gorge themselves on meat.
 For both the drunk and the glutton will end up broke,
    sleeping life away, and clothed in rags.” Proverbs 23:19-21 (VOICE)

Following Jesus doesn’t mean we can never drink wine or eat meat, but God doesn’t just throw out examples for lack of importance. We all carry the weight of temptation, and all let it surface and spin on occasion. There are a multitude of things that intend to trip us in this life, and  no-one realizes how hard the ride spins until a struggle suddenly jerks us out of our lives.

Jesus died to pull us out of those moments and into His grace. No guilt. No shame. Just up and out. Sometimes again and again …leaving a mess in our wake and a life to repair.

But we must let Him pull us up. It’s the only way out. He is Life.

These verses today can be hard to digest, and please realize that there is a big difference between judgement and disassociation. The way to discern unhealthy situations is through prayer and time in the Word.  Today’s overly-tolerant society makes it difficult to say “no,” when surrounding company asks us to hop on a ride that we know will make us sick.

Father, Praise Your teaching us how to water good friendships. Thank You for placing people in our lives to both encourage and test us. Forgive us for failing to conduct ourselves with grace in times under pressure, and bless us with the strength to live a life under Your guidance, always. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

 Get the conversation started by commenting below, and let’s encourage one another as we face life in 2017 armed with grace! 

#greatgrace17

Happy Spinning,

Megs

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