from empty to full, our true salvation
that person that said good things in life never come easy,
well.
newsflash.
they were right.
do you ever wonder
"if i'm saved, then why i am sad?"
like there's this perpetual state of wired happiness that should be achieved
because you're a christian
but you just can't seem to get there?
and then start wondering
"what does salvation mean if i still feel miserably lost?"
don't worry, me too.
for so long i just considered salvation a one time deal.
prayed the prayer. boom. done. heaven bound.
i never gave thought to the fact that once sealed with God's spirit,
I can still learn to live more fully alive
in Abba's sweet saving grace!
so here's the thing i'm learning.
Jesus SAVED me.
He SAVED you.
Abba has redeemed us,
but the crux of living into the life Jesus has for us
begins with a journey of working out our salvation
so that it is fully
EXPRESSED
and
ALIVE
in our lives
so what's the key to living a fuller, deeper expression of salvation?
well, i'm not a creepy preacher with a 5 step plan for happiness,
but I am a girl who has been inspired by Ann Voskamp and her words which have so poignantly touched the depths of my weary soul...
so here it is, the beginning step of living into our true salvation,
via Ann.
"Eucharisteo
charis: grace
eucharisteo: thanksgiving
chara: joy
the greek word with the hard meaning and the harder meaning to live-
this is the only way from empty to full.
we only enter the the full of life if our faith gives thanks
thanksgiving is the evidence of our acceptance of whatever He gives.
Thanksgiving is the manifestation of our YES to His grace.
Thanksgiving is inherent to a true salvation experience;
thanksgiving is necessary to live
well,
whole
fullest
LIFE.
Our salvation in Christ is real, yet the completeness of that salvation is not fully realized in a life until the life realizes the need to give thanks.
I would never experience the fullness of my salvation until
I expressed the fullness of my thanks every day,
and eucharisteo is elemental to living the saved life."
In the end, Ann is just like you and me.
she writes
"...I wasn't taking everything in my life and returning to Jesus,
falling at His feet and thanking Him....
this is why I sat all those years in church but my soul holes had never fully healed."
are you living with holes in your soul?
then here is what we do to knit those holes healed.
we give thanks.
now.
we fall on our knees and cry thanksgiving to the one who
truly gave it All for us.
Salvation becomes more beautiful and fully realized,
when it's covered
saturated
blossoming
and soaked
with
eurcharisteo.
lets
you and i
give thanks
and take a baby step towards the fuller realization of our salvation today.
This week, I am thankful for:
- my sweet friend and her newest most precious baby boy benji
- gluten and dairy free apple crisp
- reading in bed with my husband, stories of incredible jesus followers in the muslim world
- the gorgeous sky on my drive home last night
- new and old girlfriends
-laughing SO hard my face hurts!
- my parents putting me on speaker at the airport and laughing and giggle with them before they left for italy
- my fake fireplace to snuggle in front of!!
much love,
Katie
ps- for more Thankful Thursday posts, check out
