true self – goodchristianfiction

You see my imperfections
Still You say I’m a masterpiece
A marvelous reflection
The image of Yourself in me

You paint with strokes of grace
Undoing my disguise
You say beauty lies in the true story

Read more: Ginny Owens – True Story Lyrics | MetroLyrics

I read an interesting “take” on the concept of predestination in my Ryrie Study Bible notes this week. The gist of the idea is that God has chosen those who will be saved in that He already knows who will and who will not choose to follow Him. Sorry, John Calvin, but the first rule of our great and glorious God is that He does give us the free will to choose. He knows what we are going to choose even before we are born, but He lets us go forward anyway.

This isn’t to say that God doesn’t help us. Quite the contrary. Being perfect and all-knowing, He also knows what we will be asking for and which prayers He will answer yes or no before we even begin to pray. Jesus tells us to ask for our daily bread. He also tells us that asking for even the greatest of things with a true sense of belief will allow us to accomplish those things, as long as what we are asking for is the will of God.

As Ginny Owens reminds us in one of her great songs, we imperfect humans are a masterpiece to our Holy LORD, made perfect through the sacrifice of Christ for our sins. The grace of Christ’s love for us, the working of the Holy Spirit in us, strips away the facades required by an imperfect, sinful world. Without a body subjected to the desires of the flesh, we can more easily see our true story, shining the light of Christ in a world of darkness without fear.

How can we best be our true story to a world that likes to glitz things up and mask imperfections? We can begin each day by thanking God for His mercy and ask Him to make His presence known to us as we work our way through the facades of the day. Asking, believing, we can be strong and courageous because God makes us so.

And that is the truest story of all.

There’s nothing more soothing than being near a running brook, hearing the burbling sounds of water rushing over silt and rock, the background noises of bluejays and crickets, the smells of wild grass and pure streams surrounding you in a cocoon of protection from the troubles and cares of your everyday world.

But we don’t have to be in the middle of the country to find our gurgling-brook moments. Even if you are stuck in the midst of the concrete jungle, nature finds a way. It may be a favorite park or a patch of grass used as a dog-run at your apartment building. It may be the butterfly you find perched on the windshield of your parked car. But nature is in the very air we breathe, and wherever there is nature, we have the most visible evidence of the existence of God. A deep, full breath of afternoon air can be the kind of break that reminds you what God means by a “peace that transcends understanding.”

Visualization is also a powerful gift that God has given us. Just closing our eyes in a quiet room can allow us to see, feel, hear and smell the perfect brook. We can see ourselves lying in the tall grass, our eyes closed, our breathing even and deep. If we can block out the worries of the world, our job responsibilities, our family’s needs, our perceived failings, we may just reach that inner part of ourselves where we can best hear the most real answer to our life’s questions, which is the answer that truly comes from God. Only if we are still will we truly hear Him.

We travel hundreds of miles and spend all kinds of money to take relaxing vacations, when our own mini-vacation is available every day. Take your moment to envision your brook, meditate on God, and listen to your inner voice today. The closer that voice is to the will of God, the happier you will be.