Call it coincidence, or any other term, but I believe it is grace.
Our women’s Sunday school lesson-series was on faith and faithfulness. Suddenly, I was invited to speak at a joint-ten-church women’s event (Christmas Fellowship in November!) on—surprise—faith and faithfulness.
It would have been so convenient to just summarize our lessons for my talk, but I am averse to preaching, as I am not a theologian.
How best to talk about faith and faithfulness? What words would resonate with kindred souls?
Again, like another coincidence, I had just uploaded a blog titled, “What Has Made Your Faith Stronger?” My one word answer: storms.
It was an easy decision; I would share with them one of my life storms. I had written about this in my book “What, Me Retire?” but not everyone would have read the book and even if some had, a personal narrative makes all the difference.
I left the workplace because I was coerced and compelled to quit. That is my faith story—leading me to writing books on grace today. Lest I may be misunderstood, faith is not my accomplishment or anyone’s.
In fact, according to Dr. R.C. Sproul, a well-known Christian apologist, “Faith is not something that is naturally exercised by a fallen human being . . . On the one hand, God requires faith, and yet on the other hand, Scripture says that no one can exercise saving faith unless God does something supernaturally to empower him to do so.”
God’s Holy Spirit enables the saved to be faithful 24/7.
“For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.” (Ephesians 2:8-9 ESV)
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