Grace and Sovereignty
Savvy Saturdays - 4/4/20
Hello friends,
Greetings from Austin!
I’m not sure what day of quarantine it has been for y’all, but for me, I’ve just hit day 22! 😱
When I reflect on it, I can’t imagine going back to my normal lifestyle beforehand - biking to work during the weekdays, casually walking into the grocery store every two weeks to get my fix of raw chicken legs, brown rice, and frozen veggies to meal prep (cause our apartment has transitioned to HEB delivery due to free delivery), or seeing people face to face outside of a computer or phone screen.
I’m anticipating that the transition back into a life without COVID-19 in the future will be a bumpy ride, and there will be a reverb of aftereffects our systems and structures will undertake.
That aside, I find myself slowing down in life as I’m learning to work through storms within the storm of this Coronavirus.
To be real, the past week has been interestingly difficult.
I feel overwhelmed amidst many uncontrollable changes in work and downward hits in productivity. (In some sense, I imagine that to be the case for everybody)
With more thoughts and feelings I can imagine to process, and little time to reflect, I feel a certain pressure that I can no longer hit the same fervor in my goals as I did before the virus.
At the same time, I find myself quite concerned with how the virus will affect the vast ecosystem of the U.S. (national, state, and city), the people I love in my life, and even my own personal health.
With those thoughts though, God has been speaking truth into my life.
I am learning that rather than beating myself up and comparing myself to the previous season, God has been reminding me to receive His grace.
There is no point in being burdened by the past that cannot be changed when God’s grace fills in the gaps of my life and redeems me. Instead of letting my incomparable work to be shackling, it should be something to learn from. (quoting from a famous ice queen, “The past is in the past”)
Rather than worrying about all the things I cannot control, God is reminding me that He’s sovereign and in control.
Instead of worrying about the future, I need to learn to trust that God is all-powerful, and has a reason for this season.
I am challenged to anticipate what He has to reveal and focus on the now.
Yesterday's the past, tomorrow's the future, but today is a gift. That's why it's called the present.
- Bil Keane
As sin and imperfection are exposed through this season of uncertainty, I know that though it may be hard, God’s plan is perfect.
In a time when God’s grace and sovereignty have never been more of a challenge, there’s never been a better chance to lean in closer and trust in Him.
To rely on not what I can do, but what He can do.
To rely on His new mercies and grace for each new day.
With that, I want to encourage y’all to continue to push through in this season. I’m not sure where you are at in this stage of life, but I know that as hard as this time might be, that God has a specific reason and purpose for what He’s doing at this time, specifically for you!
Keep on fighting that fight and running that race for Him, and through that process, I know He will reveal in due time what He has in store for you because He loves you very much!
Anyways, thanks for reading through this update, wash your hands properly, and I'll see y'all in the next update! 😊
Weekly Collections
Faith
When Guilty Men Go Free: The Gospel According to Barabbas - DesiringGod
This article was a good reminder of the Gospel, and how parallel our lives are to Barabbas, a murderer who was sentenced to death but was pardoned.
The murder of Jesus was, as John Piper calls it, “history’s most spectacular sin.”
It was terrible evil that Jesus was betrayed by a friend.
It was a terrible evil that the Jewish leaders pursued his execution through devious means.
It was a terrible evil that Pilate forsook justice, trying to free Jesus on the political sly.
It was a terrible evil that the crowd chose to free a man guilty of capital murder over a man guilty of nothing.
Takeaway: Barrabas is a mirror of ourselves, as a reminder that we, though guilty of terrible evil, are able to receive life-giving pardon because the Son of Man was condemned in our place.
Is It a Sin to Back Out of a Commitment? - Ask Pastor John Podcast
As someone who thinks legalistically and is still wrestling with black and white extremes, this podcast helped give clarity over how to steward well commitments with honesty, integrity, and reliability in mind.
Three factors to consider when deciding to back out of a commitment:
How qualified was the commitment?
Would a change of plans be more loving?
Can you humbly ask for a release?
Entrepreneurship
Reflecting on My Failure to Build a Billion-Dollar Company - Sahil Lavingia
An amazing read of a product's influence by the market and the importance of focusing first on creating value rather than capturing it.
“It doesn’t matter how amazing your product is, or how fast you ship features. The market you’re in will determine most of your growth.”
Takeaway: Instead of learning to capture value, learn to create value first
Productivity
How to stay productive in the age of social distancing - freecodecamp
Verse of the Week
“By wise guidance you can wage your war, and in abundance of counselors there is victory”
- Proverbs 24:5–6
Challenging Quote
"Anybody who doesn’t change their mind a lot is dramatically underestimating the complexity of the world we live in.”
- Jeff Bezos
If you’ve been following the newsletter since the beginning, you probably noticed a change in format! Let me know your thoughts on the changes, and I appreciate any feedback!