Grace and Trust

Maybe this is obvious to everyone else but me, but believing God's grace is taking care of a situation actually involves living like it/trusting that it is. If I believe something, I need to act out what I believe or the truth really has not become me. I had a ridiculous amount of schoolwork (what else is new?) and felt a fair amount of pressure. However, instead of trying to rush out, I actually just kinda went on that God was going to take care of it and I could simply work hard, but be at peace. It was so refreshing and I got so much done - much more than normal.

I guess this is kinda like a person who sins and feels like they have to keep away from God and punish themselves for a certain length of time. They know they are forgiven in their heads, but they do not actually live out what they know to be true. So they do not live what they believe to be true about God's grace...

Maybe these are applications of faith without works being dead (in a non-salvific way)? Just kinda tossing out ideas...

*************************************************
The Awfuls
I think we can very easily have the "it would be awful if..." run our life. I think the first time I ran into that thinking came from Telling Yourself the Truth by Backus (STRONGLY recommended). For example, it would be awful if people made fun of me if I was public speaking so I won't. It would be awful if I got rejected so I will not ever ask anyone to do anything. It would be awful if this person got mad at me so I will try to say and do everythig just perfect in the hopes that they don't criticize me. It would be awful if I failed so I won't even try. It would be awful if... And so forth. Essentially, 'the awfuls" just keep people in a fear world where one truly isn't living for anything but living trying to avoid something. What an unhealthy existance!

I think part of love is seeing things from another's perspective. While I still think it is unhealthy to let the awfuls control my life, it helps put things in perspective if it changes from "It would be awful if I asked to pray for that man with the cane in the store and he told me no and thought I was weird" to "It would be awful if I refused to pray for that man in the store with the cane and he would have been healed and had his life changed." Now, like I said I still am not a fan of the awfuls, but I am realizing it puts things in perspective and allows me to not be as selfish (since the awfuls seem to care far more about my comfort, feelings, and fears than how others might be helped if I were to take a risk) if I can see things from someone else's perspective a bit more. I still do believe that I need to live my life proactive, not respond to mine or other's cases of the "awfuls." God, grow me up in this! May I live what I am writing by Your grace!