Measure my worth.

It's a simple thought.
It's the basis of Christianity.

And it's powerful.

This month in Malaysia, God has been refining my definition of grace.
He has been refining my definition of love.

And what it means to truly live like Christ.

God cares SO much for us that He sent His son as the ultimate sacrifice.
And Jesus lived amongst humans.

He walked with us.
Lived life with us.
Loved us despite our sin.
And then He was crucified by the very humans He came to love.
And we cheered them on.

But Jesus is the exact opposite.
He's the very definition of love.

And we are called to live a life like Christ.
To pick up our cross and follow Him.

This month, God has placed me in a situation that tests,
sharpens, and refines my ability to extend grace and to love like Jesus.

There are days when my flesh takes over.
When I get whiny with God.
When I cry out of frustration.
When I flat out tell God, "No. I won't do this."
When I plead to God to not make me do it because, "they're not worthy."

And He patiently holds out His hand and waits for me to grasp it again.

Why?

Because they are worthy.
Because this is worth it.
And because God is calling us to love as He did.

The hardest moments this month are when God holds up a mirror to what I'm walking through
and compares it to the sacrifice that He made for us.

He came and died for our sins.
He came to the lowly place.
He became LOWER than the angels.

To rescue us.
To extend His love for us.
To give us grace.

He has loved us since the beginning of time.
He has placed Himself in the lowest of places to fight for us.

Because of His love.

It didn't matter that we would never be worthy.
He made the atonement.
He opened the door of relationship.
He pursued us.

And He did it by loving us, extending grace to us, and fighting for us;
Even though we weren't worthy.

This month, He's teaching me how to love like Him.
And let me tell you, it's hard.
But, thankfully, I don't have to do it alone; He's always with me.

<3tasha.