One of the most pivotal moments in my walk with God was the day I came to a crystal clear understanding of the difference between living by the Law, and living by Grace. Living by the law is inherently ME focused and living under Grace is inherently HIM focused. I was appalled to discover that my ongoing pursuit of righteousness was intended to benefit one person; me. I wanted to feel better, look better, be better, live better. I wanted to walk into the presence of God with a confidence that came from my ability to impress Him with my righteousness. What I found instead was a constant fear of His presence because I could never seem to quite pull it together adequately.
It was deeply convicting but also liberating to discover that it was not 'righteousness' to obsess over my own behavior. The attention I used to give to my self has been redirected to loving attention to God and others. The pressing question is 'how can I benefit them?'
I love the miracle that takes place every time a believer comes to this understanding. The miracle is that righteousness becomes a natural byproduct of my relationship with God. My desire to love Him produces holiness. My desire to love Him inevitably begins to change me into His likeness. My pursuit to be like Him is deeply enjoyable and satisfying to the very core of who I am. My prayer is that your pursuit would be the same; and that we would learn to walk in this enjoyment together.
Aaron
