Wiping The Slate Clean!
Who are we really? Every one of us has a picture in our heads of who we are. It usually gets there because of the choices that either we have made or that others have made for us, but is that really who we are? I think NOT.
In the last several years I have come to the belief that WHO we are can never be threatened by what we or others have decided about ourselves. The REAL US is something so beautiful and perfect and no matter how bad we think we have mucked things up the REAL part of us never changes.
Life has a way of wiping our slates clean from time to time so that we can have a chance to look deeper inside and find our real self. Those that see the real self in themselves will also see it in others. Eating of the tree of the Knowledge of Good & Evil always will lead to a false identity both in ourselves and in the way we see others. But eating of the tree of life is partaking of the reality that we are beautiful, each and every one of us because that’s the way God made us.
Knowing this does not mean you will no longer experience pain. Look at Jesus. He knew he was beautiful but he lived among men who didn’t know it and he suffered the pain they inflicted on him. He came to remove our sin and he did just that but he didn’t change our actions. He lets us continue to choose the illusion of a false identity until we become so sick of it that either we seek out our inner beauty in the here and now or we continue to suffer with a false view of who we really are until the final revelation. And I am convinced that every person will see the light of their true identity eventually.
Until then pay attention the next time LIFE wipes the slate clean for you and take advantage by looking deep within yourself. You just might be suprised at how beautiful you really are.
WOW!
Cliff I am so thankful that I have you,Nancy and family as friends!
You and your family have taught me more of the TRUE Grace of God in the short time I have known you than in all of my previous 30 years as a “so called” believer! I am so glad we ALL walked away from our own faith and gave up believing in God! And then we embraced the Faith OF Jesus and His Belief. It was at that point that the true essence of who and what we are and HAVE BEEN ALWAYS became clear. It not only caused us to accept ourselves as Perfect but it without us trying, caused us to see all of God’s Creation as perfect also. Me and Bonnie talk always as to the greatest gift you have given us. It is this one statement, ” All people are GOOD, we just sometimes make bad decisions sometimes.” Do you know how much that frees people to understand that I am NOT A Bad Boy or a BAD Girl, I just made a bad decision. You see we can change our decisions. But when a man, woman or child is told they are a BAD PERSON then that they CANNOT change! At least the mind tells us we can’t. But when I am told I am a good person but I just made a BAD decision, well I can choose to make different decisions. And since I am NOT a bad person I can freely admit and acknowledge my bad decisions and go on to make better ones.
Love
Geo
Geo, The easiest thing in the world for us to do is to relate to the false identity of our own decisions or the decisions of others, but everytime we do that we will always be left wanting. Even if we have made mostly good choices we will only feel as good as the moment lasts. But when we relate to the reality of our true creation we can have a peace that can not be threatened by anything this life throws at us. In some ways this has been the Job chapter in my life. Just as Job questioned, so have I, but I always knew that God was still God and even in the worst of circumstances He held me in his arms carrying me through each difficulty. Thankfully I have read the end of Job’s book and I know the final chapter reveals a God who never left his side and showed him greater light then Job could have ever believed possible. One difference in Job’s story and mine is that God gave me wise friends to counsel me all along the way. You are one of those friends.
Love,
Cliff
Cliff
That was awsome I really needed that today
I am so thankful right now that our bad choices can be wiped clean
And that our bad choices that we make don’t have to keep us down.
Cliff you have a way of sharing Grace in a new light for me thank you
Jennifer
Thank God that Jesus wiped our slates clean once and for ALL and His life in us keeps right on wiping our mind, will and emotions of the clutter gathered through life.
Good post Cliff,
Steve
Eating of the tree of the Knowledge of Good & Evil always will lead to a false identity both in ourselves and in the way we see others. But eating of the tree of life is partaking of the reality that we are beautiful, each and every one of us because that’s the way God made us.
A big amen cliff.”The gospel in i nutshell”.So simple, yet profound.
Thanks cliff.
kenneth.
I to can really relate to this one Dad. You do have a wonderful way of speaking to the heart.
It is soo hard not listen to others tell me who I am. I am still learning everyday to stay focused and honest to who I know I am and every day is a new challenge, but I look forward to the challenges when as before I didn’t think I would make it through the day. It is hard to let go of the illusions that can take over who we really are, but when I do let go I can see clearly and I can see what really matters. I matter. In the end it is me and God. Not me and the world. God is the one that has walked beside me every step of the way. When I thought it would be easier to just stop he gently guided me toward my strength and I kept going so that I could enjoy the wonders of this life. This life is good and I am really enjoying sharing myself for as long as I can and being inspired by others like my daughter. This life has too much to offer me and as long as I stay away from the illusions of what others think I should be I can see the beauty in it all.
In my humble but BOLD opinion this is THE BEST Blog on the internet!
There is and are more affirmations of the love and acceptance of God on this blog than on any I have come across. And the best part is it is done in a short few words most of the time. So simple a child could understand and embrace it! And it is done without being “preachy”
I LOVE YOU ALL!
Peace
Geo
Yes geo,not some grace ,but all of grace.You call it the new covenant of grace, mercy and love.
kenneth
Beautiful words and so true. Some time ago after discovering the wonders of true grace, it became clear to me that our problem isn’t our sin, but the fact that we suffer from an identity crisis. As I shared this with folk I got some very strange looks and responses indeed. None the less I believe this is true and you have said it so well here in this post. What we all need is a revelation into our true identity and then go on to live out of this identity that we all have in Him. Well said Cliff, and thanks for the reminder and reality check as to who we really are in Christ. You could call it a revelation of righteousness I suppose.