Gutters of Grace November 14, 2015

Read Isaiah 41:17-20

Hebrews 12:1-2      Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us also lay aside every encumbrance and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.…

Romans 13:12     The night is nearly over; the day is almost here. So let us put aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light.

1 Corinthians 9:24     Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize.

1 Corinthians 9:26     Therefore I do not run like someone running aimlessly; I do not fight like a boxer beating the air.

Galatians 2:2     I went in response to a revelation and, meeting privately with those esteemed as leaders, I presented to them the gospel that I preach among the Gentiles. I wanted to be sure I was not running and had not been running my race in vain.

Ephesians 4:22     You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires;

Philippians 1:30     since you are going through the same struggle you saw I had, and now hear that I still have.

Hebrews 10:36     You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what he has promised.

In our area fierce summer thunderstorms often drop a large amount of rain in a very short time. The gutters of my house serve a vital function by channeling the rain. However, when my gutters are clogged up with leaves and seeds, the rainwater cannot flow freely.

In a way, we are called to be “gutters,” channels of God’s love and grace. Yet — like the gutters on the roof of my house — our lives can become filled with debris. When this happens, we fail to be effective channels of God’s refreshing and life-giving water. This debris will look slightly different for each of us. Perhaps it is the busyness of our lives or the worries and fears that consume our thinking. Perhaps it is an unwillingness to forgive or unresolved issues from our past. For me, ambition and seeking people’s approval often take center stage in my life.

Anything that causes us to focus on ourselves instead of on God can prevent us from being effective servants. When we regularly ask God to show us this debris and allow God to help us clean it out, we can become channels of God’s grace.