Lists....

So many of you may know this about me.. but I lovvvee lists. I make lists for everything: at my job.. what I need to do for that day. At home ...what needs to get done after work. Packing, finances- you name it I have probably made a list for it. So, that is where my "doer" mentality comes in with my faith. During my Monday night DVD series with my Bible Study, Tara brought up Colossians 3:12 "Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience." So what do I look at when I read this verse? The list of qualities I need to clothe myself with, obviously. So, this is what my list would look like:

• Compassion
• Kindness
• Humility
• Gentleness
• Patience

I write those down, pray about areas of my life where I need to be more gentle, patient, etc., and then do my best to be those things.

So what's wrong with this? Well I was super convicted when I realized that my interpretation of this verse was focused on "doing better." Sure I prayed about what specific areas in my life needed more patience, but how did I expect to change those areas? Well, on my own strength. What I was missing was the most important part... the beginning of the verse where it states that we are chosen by God, that I am holy and dearly loved... basically the Gospel.

Oh, the Gospel. For some reason the Evangelical church has just had this huge push toward focusing on the Gospel. (ie: the Gospel Coalition) I was just talking my friend Caroline at lunch, and there possibly is even a new field of counseling called "Gospel Centered Counseling." It may seem absurd that Christians have to refocus on Christ (The reason for our whole faith) but then again is it? Have we really gotten that far away from focusing on the Gospel? Well, this week I have been pretty vividly convicted that I have gotten away from the Gospel. I am the Galatian that Paul was talking to when he said "Are you so foolish? After beginning with the Spirit, are you now trying to attain your goal by human effort?" So back to Colossians 3:12. I realized the only way I am going to be patient is if I take myself back to the Gospel and realize how patient God is with me and my sin. The only way I am going to be humble is if I take myself back to the Gospel and realize how Jesus humbled himself and became a man, making himself nothing, dying on a cross for my sins. My sanctification needs to be fueled by the Gospel, not self sufficiency. So what am I slowly starting to learn? Let me make a list lol :)

• Preach the Gospel to myself every day
• Lists don't change people; the Gospel does
• Running to the cross and not the law
• There is much freedom that comes from the grace provided through the cross