Getting older has its benefits. The hairline might be a bit thinner and the body may recover a little slower, but life experience has a way of paying some worthwhile dividends. You know stuff, not because you’re more intelligent, but because you’ve just seen it before.

At age 45, there isn’t a defensive scheme Tom Brady hasn’t dissected a million times. Most of the guys lining up across from him are literally young enough to be his children, but old man Tom continues to carve up secondaries because he’s just played long enough to understand what works on the football field and what does not. (I can’t believe I just used a Tom Brady story as a positive analogy, please forgive me).

The same is true for me when it comes to the redemptive and ressurecting work of the Gospel. Walk with Jesus long enough and you learn a lot of things (sometimes the hard way).

I came to faith as a child. I don’t remember a day without Jesus in my life. But there is something about even youthful spiritual energy that leaves us feeling like the Christian life is built on a whole lot of our own moral muscle. Sure, Jesus got me in the door, but my exceptional righteous abilities were going to keep me there and eventually get me promoted.

I would never had said it that way, but moralism really is the default setting of the human heart. We want to be the heroes of our own story. And oftentimes, even after we come to faith, we continue that same quest with a new Christian vernacular.

But life has a way of sapping the moralism right out of you. It’s exhausting, it’s anxiety-ridden, and it’s ultimately fruitless. When you finally get to the end of yourself, the finished work of Jesus actually becomes good news.

The gospel truly came alive to me when I had finally lived long enough to realize how incapable I am of fixing what’s actually wrong with me.

There is a savior and it is not me.

So don’t spend today trying to earn something that already belongs to you. When your life is in Christ, all the earning is done with. Your identity is settled. Spend today worshipping God, loving your neighbor, and pointing people to Jesus.

It is finished.

Jesus is faithful.

His grace is enough.

Join us for our first-ever missional business breakfast! Connect with other Christian business people as well as hear from both of our amazing speakers. All proceeds from ticket sales will go to Project Rescue, a Christian anti-sex trafficing organization. Click the graphic above or right here for all the details!

DHTTHIS WEEK ON THE WEBSITE:

ARTICLE: How Did You Know You Were Called?​
​Our friend Kelly Delp comes through with another great guest post. Most missionaries have a powerful story of being “called” to the mission field. There was just one problem for Kelly – she didn’t. No matter what you do for a living, this article will encourage you in your calling.

VIDEO: Don’t Quit​
​Being 100% sure of your of your path on the front end is not as important as being faithful to the path that you choose.

PODCAST: The Complete First Season is Now Available!​
​Please rate, comment, and share. It goes a long way to helping us establish Missional Marketplace on podcasting platforms.

Accelerating the Great Commission through the Marketplace,

Erik Cooper | The Stone Table

Don’t forget to pick up your copy of Missional Marketplace: Finding Your Everyday Work in God’s Eternal Plan in your choice of print, e-book, or audiobook by clicking here!