“Avoid quarreling, be gentle, show true humility toward everyone … for we ourselves were once foolish… hated by others and hating one another.
BUT when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit, whom he generously poured out on us through Jesus Christ our Savior.” Titus 3:1-4
Heavenly Father, this is a stunning, whole-life-shaping, relationship defining passage. We’re not to take our relational clues from those around us, but from the Gospel of your grace—from Jesus, himself. You love us generously, so much so, you give us all the grace-capital we need to love to your glory.
Our “Gospel-portfolio” includes: Christ for us—our perfect salvation. Christ in us—our hope of glory. Christ over us—our peace in a chaotic cosmos. Christ under us—our safe collapsing zone. Us in Christ—our “it’s almost too good to be true” enrichment.
Abba, your “goodness and loving kindness” are 10,000 times more worthy of our attention than obsessing over how anyone else has, is, or will relate to us. This doesn’t make us immune to how people treat us; it makes us yours and that makes all the difference in any and every relationship.
Because you have washed us and are renewing us by the Holy Spirit, we can “avoid quarreling, be gentle, and live humbly.” This sounds supernatural because it is. You have done for us what we could never do for ourselves. That’s why it’s a Gospel of grace—not of our grit. Likewise, you do in us and through us what we can’t/won’t do on our own. Hallelujah, thank you, and So Very Amen. Here’s to a weekend of loving to your glory.
