Get it straight!

I read this before I went to church today:

"Mercy understood is holiness desired. '(Jesus) gave himself for us so he might pay the price to free us from all evil and to make us pure people who belong only to him - people who are always wanting to do good deeds (Titus 2:14). Note that last phrase: "people who are always wanting to do good deeds.' Grace fosters an eagerness for good. Grace doesn't spawn a desire to sin. If one has truly embraced God's gift, he will not mock it. In fact, if a person uses God's mercy as liberty to sin, one might wonder if the person knew God's mercy at all.
God's trust makes us eager to do right. Such is the genius of grace. The law can show us where we do wrong, but it can't make us eager to do right. Grace can. Or as Paul answers, 'Faith causes us to be what the law truly wants' (Romans 3:31)." (From In the Grip of Grace by Max Lucado)

Then...
I went to church today in a bad mood. No reason. Just because. I went to worship determined that I still wanted to be in a bad mood. So I wasnt' going to sing and songs or participate. Yeah, that will show...them? But I can't seem to run away from God (THANK YOU LORD!!!!) And his name is so worthy of being praise how could I not praise it? And then I was reminded of what I had read this morning. Oh Lord, will I ever "get it straight"? Everytime I think I get it...I loose it. And that's the beauty of grace and mercy. God still gives it. Father, help me find it more. And help me teach it to my boys.
~SSM

ps. The funny thing is we are always talking to Caleb about grace and mercy. That's probably the same way God feels about me