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Friday, Nov 11, 2016. Basically everything we value in life we cannot generate by ourselves. We cannot make life. We cannot generate nature. We cannot produce love or attention or appreciation. Things are even worse: all we try to generate by ourselves will not give us sustainable pleasure or satisfaction. We need to find a different way to satisfaction, a different route to joy and a fulfilled life!

Grace …

There is a word in Christian terminology which describes a rout to satisfaction. The word is grace. We need to realize and learn that life is a gift. We need to realize and learn that relationship is a gift. The same applies to love, to appreciation, to health. Of course, we can also do things. We can love, we can work towards appreciation, we can develop our skills, we can work for others, we can do a lot for our health to support it. But we cannot generate it ourselves! The Apostle Paul writes to the church in Philippi:

1 Finally, my brothers,1 rejoice in the Lord. To write the same things to you is no trouble to me and is safe for you. 2 Look out for the dogs, look out for the evildoers, look out for those who mutilate the flesh. 3 For we are the circumcision, who worship by the Spirit of God and glory in Christ Jesus and put no confidence in the flesh. (from Philippians 3)

In other words: Paul says that he does not base his life on works and rules. He lives “in the spirit”. It is worked out in different shapes and shades in the New Testament. Living in the spirit is the freedom of Christ, the freedom of salvation, which is given to all who believe in him for free!

Relationships and Joy …

Paul talks about joy a lot. Joy cannot be generated directly, but it comes when you start to let go and live in the Lord. It comes when his spirit comes to you. It develops when you realize how rich your life is - independent of the amount of money you have in your bank account (you may have much or little).

God in himself is a free relationship. He is God in father, son and holy spirit. We talk of one God, it is not three Gods. Can we explain this? We can observe its consequences, we can read and understand what Jesus says in the New Testament and we can experience the holy spirit, when we live in faith.

Give it a try. Come and experience grace in its original meaning. It is basically a free relationship, a relationship based on complete truth and trust and love! It is your relationship to the eternal God, the creator, the saviour, the beginning and the end. Come and give it a try - and find it all, truth and joy and a love and intensity of freedom which is truly fantastic! (Roland Potthast) ... more texts