101 Cups of Water

Day 1: A Cup of Grace I can't live the Christian life. Don't tell anyone, but I've tried and I've tried and I can't. I haven't loved God with all my heart, soul, and mind, and I certainly haven't loved my neighbors as myself. It's that simple. The Big Lie that's weighed so heavily on me is that I can make my Christian life "work." It's a lie that has stood in the way of my enjoying true communion with God, a lie that's kept me from more fully appreciating the beauty of the creation around me and the community of others. So, yes, I admit that I can't make my Christian life work. Praise be to God, who has freed me from the trying. He's shown me that only Christ can live the Christian life, and he lives that life through me more fully as I get that trying-harder Self out of his way (Galatians 3). So what do I do? I ask the Holy Spirit to show me my weakness, my sin, my need. I bring it all to the cross. And when the good news of God's love pours over me, it is then I realize, with my heart filled withgratitude,that Christ lives through me. No, I can't live the Christian life on my ownand he loves me anyway.Baker, C. D. is the author of '101 Cups of Water', published 2008 under ISBN 9781400073993 and ISBN 1400073995.