God wants us to be all we can be!

My name is Charlotte and I am writing to help us give our first thoughts to the Lord.

There is a lot said today in the church's about not admitting that you are 'a sinner saved by grace.' That you have passed that part of your life and you are now sanctified and holy and a praiser of God rather than a 'sinner saved by grace.'

While in my experience I have found that you have to grow in the Lord, and not stay in that converted state, however, we must never get too far away from Calvary.

When I gave my life to Jesus, I was a mess. My husband and I had broken up and in the process, I discovered I liked to drink. I wasn't an alcoholic, but I enjoyed mixed drinks. In those days I also enjoyed dancing, if you can imagine. For a while -just a while - my friends and I would close Hot Springs. At that time clubs had to close at midnite. My mother kept my three children and never knew what I was doing -I suppose she didn't even question or she would have spoken.

In the midst of it all, my friend from Texas, came to visit me. They call her Rachel now, but she will always be Shelley to me. I smoked at that time also. I was wondering what in the world I was going to do with her at my house all week because she was so full of God and I wasn't. The Lord spoke to her to come and never mention His name to me.

She came and was just Shelley to me and the kids, and we loved her so. She wasn't judgmental. She never made me feel bad about who I was and more than that the Holy Spirit, that wonderful Spirit of love, filled my home while she was there, and when she left, she took Him with her. I will never forget walking back into my house and filling the emptiness there.

I had thought when she got saved and filled with the Spirit that she was crazy. She not only talked to God, but He talked back to her. That's nuts!!!!!! Right???? Well, after she left my house that day, I did something that was different - I went out in the midst of the tall pine trees by my house in the big city of Tull, Arkansas, and told God - I don't know what she's got, but whatever it is, I want it.

God is faithful, and several months later, by His leading, I gave my whole heart and soul to Him, and He filled me with His Holy Spirit, and I have never been the same again. There is an old song that I remember my mother singing as she washed dishes that says "Oh He's a wonderful Saviour to me," and He is. He has never let me down in the over 30 years that I have served Him and I have never been disappointed in Him.

We are looking at the will of God concerning us. Laura sent me part of the following (By the way, Laura is Shelley's daughter).

"Perfectionism is never satisfied. Perfectionism fails to realize that God loves us unconditionally. God's love enables us to change and mature and He doesn't withhold His love from us until we are perfect because we will never be perfect. Only God is perfect.

We think that others like us better for our perfection, but the truth is, it's just the opposite. People like to be around flexible, tolerant, imperfect people like themselves."

When we play the part of a sanctified, 'holier than thou' type Christian, most of the time it turns people off. Then on the other hand, sometimes people get scared of us when we are who we are, because the seeds of it show that we are serving a living, prayer answering God.

"HERE IS A TRUSTWORTHY SAYING THAT DESERVES FULL ACCEPTANCE: CHRIST JESUS CAME INTO THE WORLD TO SAVE SINNERS - OF WHOM I AM THE WORST. BUT FOR THAT VERY REASON I WAS SHOWN MERCY SO THAT IN ME, THE WORST OF SINNERS, CHRIST JESUS MIGHT DISPLAY HIS UNLIMITED PATIENCE AS AN EXAMPLE FOR THOSE WHO WOULD BELIEVE ON HIM AND RECEIVE ETERNAL LIFE." 1 Timothy 1:15,16

Paul, the great evangelist, wrote these words to Timothy.

Do you realize how patient God must be to accept us just like we are - good, bad, ugly, or indifferent - and to strive to help us grow to be all we can be in Him?

God's will concerning us is to be who we are - not a big show of virtue - but let who we are be who we are in Christ Jesus - and allow our light to shine so that others can see and want to know the wonderful Saviour that we serve.

Thank you, Lord Jesus, for allowing us to be who we are. Keep on loving us and drawing us unto You so that our light will shine out to others so that they will want to know you and have the great privilege of serving You. In Jesus Name. Amen.

Have a wonderful day!

Charlotte