Want Real Change for Your Life?

It’s kind of awkward for me to talk about this, mainly because I’m desperately afraid it might come off as self-serving, self-promoting or self-righteous, but the fact is several people have approached me with the same question lately.

No, I’m not crazy. I’m just blown away by how MUCH I am loved.

Then again, maybe some of them are simply hoping to discover a better explanation as to why I’m so weird, but they still ask nonetheless.

“How have you managed to find so much joy in your faith in the past few years?”

Before I respond, I usually preface my answer by reminding them that I’ve always been a people person, have always had an over-active sense of humor, and for several years even “did” most of the same faith-related activities I do now.

But yes, there is a HUGE difference between the me now and the me just a few years ago.

So what is it?

Well, I hate to disappoint, but “it” is actually several things.

However, instead of giving you a long, drawn out testimony, I’ll tell you what I think has transformed my life more than anything else.

And that’s knowing the cost of my (our) salvation.

That may sound too simple to you, but I honestly believe that until I fully realized my need for a Savior and what He endured to offer me the ultimate hope of eternal life, my life would never really change.

Some Christians are quick to spout that “Jesus died for our sins,” but rarely ever take the thought much further than that.

Yes, “Jesus Saves” sounds so encouraging, but have you ever seriously thought about how He saved us, why He saved us and why we needed saving in the first place?

When the fact is, the Creator of the Universe humbled Himself down to the frailest of vulnerabilities – a defenseless infant – lived His short life incessantly teaching love, grace and mercy, and intentionally offered Himself up to be savagely beaten and nailed to a wooden cross.

And He did that for me, for you.

As a result of first pondering that, and then knowing that, it literally changed me forever.

In other words, let’s say a friend of mine tells me they stopped by my house when I wasn’t home and discovered one of my bills lying on the ground.

And upon finding the envelope, they felt compelled to open it and pay off the debt.

What should my level of gratitude be for this person?

Well let’s face it; I’m going to be thankful no matter which debt of mine this person paid off.

But if I’m completely honest here, I’m only going to be mildly thankful if I find out the debt they paid was my Men’ Health Magazine subscription.

I mean, it’s a nice gesture and all, but nothing Earth-shattering, right?

Now, just imagine what my gratitude level would be if I find out this person paid off my home mortgage, or the kids’ college tuition?

Please understand I am not trying to point out or make a comparison between how thankful I am versus how thankful others are, or vice versa.

All I’m suggesting is that until we fully realize – or at least seriously consider – the cost of an action, we will naturally struggle to understand, or more importantly, feel it’s entire worth.

Like you, I’ve heard for years that “Jesus died for my sins.”

That’s information.

But, it wasn’t until a few years ago, when I began to put actual flesh and bones on the person (Jesus) who did that, and through that realized that not only did this happen, it came through unfathomable sacrifice, pain and love….for me, and you!

That’s emotion!

And the more I feel that, the more I begin to understand how much I meant to Him and appreciate my worth and the worth of those around me.

You see; so many people simply want a god who just loves us.

That sounds really nice, warm and fuzzy, but is that the reality of true love?

No way.

If you’ve ever experienced true love, you’ve experienced the cuddly stuff, but you’ve also endured sacrifice, heartache and pain.

Friends, I can’t promise that what has worked for me will work for you – we’re all different.

But I will assure you one thing; the deeper you meditate on the price He paid for you, the more gratitude, love and joy you’ll genuinely feel.

So for those who wonder, that, more than anything else is what has completely transformed my life.

The mission and intended ministry behind “A Changing Grace”

Simply put, I am someone who had a completely backward view of what it truly means to be a Christian.

I used to think being a Christian meant you had to be someone who “had everything all together” and were able to successfully check off the admirable “Living Right” check boxes of life.

The problem with that is it puts everything on MY shoulders and MY power to reach a certain status or salvation, which is impossible.

The trouble with that way of thinking is that it usually manifests itself in two dead-end scenarios.

On one hand, if we are somehow able to do “all the right things” (which we can’t do them all), we leave the back door to our soul wide open for pride to slip in and give us an inflated view/opinion of ourselves, and a moralistic view of others who don’t do the things we do, or as well as we think WE do them.

And on the other hand, if it’s by our doing, we will eventually crumble under the pressure of never knowing if the good things we did were “good enough” and we can become hopeless, or worse, turn away from God because we think He is too demanding or is trying to ruin our “good time” here on Earth.

However, if we fix our eyes on the cross – and truly meditate on the fact that while we are so undeserving Jesus HAD to die for us, but yet so loved He was GLAD to die for us! – it will change us from the inside out.

Totally backward from the way I used to see it, and I have a sneaking suspicion that many still see it like that today.

And that is the very purpose behind “A Changing Grace” – it’s not that grace has ever changed or ever will, but instead, if we commit ourselves to focusing on the pure meaning of grace, IT will change us!

It’s not about the things we do or have done.

It’s ALL about the one thing He did for me and you!

I like to call it 180-degree thinking (you’ll come to see this is a pattern of thinking I do a lot).

Now, don’t get me wrong, there are consequences for our actions, but the point is, the ONLY way our proverbial slates can be wiped spotless is through Jesus.

So instead of trying to gain grace (which, by the way, is an oxymoron), if we let an overwhelming sense of gratitude for what Jesus has already done for us on the cross motivate us – I mean sincerely let it penetrate our hearts and become the porthole in which we see everything and everyone around us – that is when lives can be transformed.

By His power, not mine or yours.

Since this is my inaugural post on A Changing Grace, I would like to ask you to keep a few things in mind if you read any of my musings:

1. My intention to deliver a fresh, dynamic, relational and practical view of Christianity far outweighs my qualifications to do so.
2. However, I believe God can, and regularly does, work wonders through ordinary people (even people named Mike).
3. I promise (to try my best) to keep my posts to a “comfortable” reading length.
4. Because of that, please understand I will not be able to answer every question or issue about Christianity in any one given post. I personally couldn’t do that regardless of the length of my posts anyway.
5. And because of that, please view A Changing Grace as “a body of work” rather than singling any one post out as my entire theological stance.
6. I can almost guarantee someone will disagree with something I write, so please refer to No.1.
7. Lastly, I thank you in advance for reading any word I write.

Welcome to A Changing Grace,

Mike