But the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared. He saved us. It wasn’t because of the good things we had done. It was because of his mercy. He saved us by washing away our sins. We were born again. The Holy Spirit gave us new life. ~ Titus 3:4-5 (NIRV)
Kind and loving God, our inclination is to emphasize our responsibilities. We want to talk about how good we are. Or sometimes we're humble enough to talk about our failures. But the prophets and the apostles seem to talk most about all that you, God, have done or are doing. I know that it is not bad to talk about myself -- sometimes. But help me to keep the focus on you and the wonderful way that you take the initiative to save and heal us. And you don't do it because of anything we've done or not done. It's because, by your very nature you are life giving. Hallelujah! Amen!
Challenging Words
- inclination -- a person's natural tendency, the urge to act or feel in a particular way
- take the initiative -- to be the first one to act, to start something even when you don't have to, to make things happen
