God's Way

Psalms 71:16 NIV

I will come and proclaim your mighty acts, Sovereign Lord; I will proclaim your righteous deeds, yours alone.

I have passed through many seasons in my life. Some of blessing and abundance and some of loss, deprivation, and struggles. I can look back at the blessings and abundance of my life as a young adult. I had a list of "I-complishments".

I am a good guy. I work hard. I have self-control. I am self-made.

I had accepted Christ as my Lord and Savior in my youth, but without a positive or Godly male role model in my life to guide me I looked to establish myself in what the mixed messages of the world called success. And when I found success and favor I took all the credit for it. I was not aware that God's hand was on my life, so it was myself that I praised. As I continued to meet the ever changing, situational, and diverse standards of the world I became a man divided. The Spirit which I was completely unaware of was battling with the flesh that I continued to feed more and more. Slowly but surely my entertainment of the flesh and my worldly desires led me further and further away from God's purpose for my life and eventually to a place of hopelessness and despair. But in that time of brokenness with all of my insufficiency apparent I cried out to God. And by His loving grace alone He began to mend the broken pieces of my life. I am grateful today for the full understanding I have of just how insufficient my own strength is, and how destructive my own will is on my life and those around me. So, in this current season of success and favor I will not lose sight of whose righteousness I am to proclaim.

My hope, strength, righteousness is in Christ alone.

*Father God, you are so faithful. I praise You and your righteousness to all that I come in contact with. I will proclaim your faithful redeeming love forever. Forgive me for the times I have taken credit for any of the good things in my life or in my character. Lord, continue to fill me with your Spirit through your amazing grace so that I may bear fruit that reflects you in me. It's in Jesus name I pray, amen.

Shane Gehlert