Grace Expressions

I’m sure I’ve written about grace before. I think it was back in the early days of blogging when it more splurging than any sense of continuity in writing. I know I’ve read the book by Philip Yancey wondering what’s so amazing about it, but I don’t remember much about the book. Might have to re-read it when time allows.

Today once more I was reminded about grace in a conversation with my boss. I was thinking of grace expressions and how for people who may not be aware of how that works or how it expresses itself there are the stories that abound about what it looks like. Going through the Compassion 2009 series at church and looking at some of Jesus’ parables they are replete with expressions of grace. Expressions that I had neglected in knowing what I was reading and being able to explain in good terms as if I knew what it was saying, when actually I had not even begun to get to grips with it. Here are some grace expressions that I have witnessed.

Steve had shirked his responsibilities. He had not paid his rent as he’d promised and the pressure was on to get it paid or he would be out on his ear. Those that worked close with him knew he wasn’t engaging with what was outlined for him and he remained an elusive figure in as much as people tried to get close to him, he appeared to have a perpetual chip on his shoulder. All avenues appeared exhausted and there was nowhere else for him to go except for the streets. As the countdown emerged the angel of the Lord arrived and anonymously ensured the rent was paid and that Steve was given the loving support needed to make progress to the next point.

Anne’s behaviour was out of order; by all accounts she deserved to be arrested for what she did. To assault a member of staff like that and expect to get away with it was just not going to happen. Her track record haunted her like the ghost of Christmas Past and doors opened to others were slammed in her face. Still she failed to recognise her role in her downfall. It was always someone else’s fault. If they did not rile her up then she wouldn’t explode. This was not good enough for someone of her age. By now she should have known better. By now her previous fall-outs should have given her the impression she needed. Now there appeared to be no way out for her – all doors were shut and even the way back to her natural family was no longer tenable because of that behaviour. The angel of the Lord appeared and provided a loving church community willing to go all out to serve her, house her, enable her to gain the tools to build her life on surer foundation and perhaps learn those valuable lessons.

Luke had ruined his marriage and ruined the early days for his firstborn. His self-centred decisions had jeopardised everything that ever meant anything to him. Friends were nowhere to be found, the church was busy sorting its own wounds to offer any salve. As he lurched from one debased low to another intoxicating material that only reinforced the pit he found myself in, he went to sleep empty and hollow. Yet his stubborn will would not yield. That was until the angel of the Lord sent him a text that sent his whole world into tailspin. From the midst of his despair he cried out to God and He restored to Luke his wife and firstborn and blessed him further with a second child who likewise brought great joy. When he looks at them they are living proof of the amazing grace of God. Despite his behaviour he is tremendously blessed by the two children who show that God’s grace is greater and faith in that, faith in Him allows him to rejoice in the truth that he is a continued beneficiary of good things when he has done nothing to earn them.

Key ingredients in these expressions is the fact that not only had nothing been done to deserve what was received, but on the contrary the behaviour, thoughts and words merited something on the contrary to what I actually got. The fact that slip ups are not a slight more than it is a highlight of the generous, forgiving and loving nature of God. I can look back on my life and the lives of others and hear what they have to say about a given event and see God’s grace-prints all over it.

It reminds me of that basis for action seen in Jon Gibson’s track ‘You’ve Gotta Love Somebody’. The propulsion to do anything is purely because someone else long before we cared reached down in their heart to give me a start and so sooner or later I’d have to love someone. Extending grace to others is unnatural but spiritually it is such a reinvigorating exercise that it really feels as if Jesus Himself is working through my character and ability to bring this about. The people do not deserve it and their behaviour, thoughts and words would indicate the opposite. As with these grace expressions, though my initiative is not based on responding or reacting, but on love. A love poured into my heart by God Himself.

For His Name's Sake

Shalom

dmcd

Have You Checked Yourself Recently

Investigate my life, O God, find out everything about me; Cross-examine and test me, get a clear picture of what I'm about; See for yourself whether I've done anything wrong-- then guide me on the road to eternal life. (Psalm 139:23, 24 MSG)

Have you had a good look at yourself lately? I mean really? Recently I was reminded of the power and importance of praise. Praise allows me to start any conversation from a perspective beyond myself. I do not claim to have divine insight, but what I do have is acknowledgement of the divine as the basis for my behaviour. Linking praise with fasting is natural because as we’ve seen fasting is desperately seeking God and one way to express that desperation is reminding yourself of who He is as revealed in His Word. This reminds us that despite our best efforts we are always scratching the surface of knowing the omnipotent, omniscient, omnipresent, eternal and loving One. That desire though is ultimately fulfilling as nothing else can be as we engage with the Creator and Sustainer of the universe.

The splendour of engaging in relationship with God and learning more about Him is how He highlights issues about us. The nature of these revelations is not for shame and embarrassment but for realisation of some very real things about us and out complete dependency on God to define us. Sometimes for as much as I love God He desires holiness in me and so uses opportunity after opportunity to uncover some real dark issues about my character. That goes back to the question of whether you’ve checked yourself lately.

You know I used to console myself that although there were one or two faults I wasn’t that bad. Jesus loved me and that’s all that mattered. The issue of holiness puts things in a different light. Even recently I saw just how my character is in desperate need of God’s love. My capacity for being judgemental and having a proud approach to situations and people is disgusting but acceptable because it’s done in a sophisticated style. It’s done through sarcasm or biting quips and one-liners. It’s done through behaving in a way that gives others the impression that they are stupid or of little value. It’s done by believing when I get angry and annoyed that people no longer have the worth they did. It’s especially expressed when I feel hard done by. I can sympathise with Paul who expressed how wretched he was because of the struggle that goes on inside.

The best example in which the uglier aspects of my character are seen is in the issue of forgiveness. When I feel as though someone has slighted me that’s something that I can get over, but when someone offends me the hardest thing in the world is to forgive them. It is so easy to remember the wrong they did, the immaturity they showed, the carelessness, the stupidity, the hurt and pain, loss and at times perceived personal devastation. That sense of betrayal hits at the core of my being. In that very transaction I become everything that I loathe the most to justify my feeling of injustice.

I am good at recounting all the evidence in my favour and against the guilty party and how that then makes it only fitting that they pay for the greatest crime of all – hurting me to such an effect. As I get wrapped up in myself room for the character of grace and mercy is scant and that means little room for God. Little room for God is every room for the other guy and before you know it things get ugly and whenever I think of the person and the incident the vile, bile upsurges from the gut. Now that would be bad enough but it also disfigures my personality.

And when they came to the place that is called The Skull, there they crucified him, and the criminals, one on his right and one on his left. And Jesus said, "Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do." And they cast lots to divide his garments. (Luke 23:33, 34)

This is where the character of God comes into His own and the deliverance aspect of His personality comes to the rescue. This is where the cross becomes all important. In the cross I am reminded I have no right to be offended. Now of course just because I don’t have the right doesn’t mean I cannot do it, it just means I do not have the right. I do not have the right, because when the one Man who would have every right to be offended had His opportunity to be offended His response spoke of forgiveness. His response spoke of mercy. His response spoke of reconciliation proving once and for all that love conquers all. I am a recipient of that love because if anyone has the right to be offended He does every time I betray Him in sinning. Every time I hurt the relationship in the betrayal of sin and self-seeking rather than honouring the relationship we have. He has the right to be offended, but He continues to express those same traits of mercy, forgiveness and reconciliation.

Not only does He express it, but then He enables me to be able to express that to those who have wronged me. Despite my efforts at justifying holding a grudge and staying offended, despite me having the file that shows how right I am and how wrong they are, in the name of love I have to destroy that file and rather look to retrieve whatever I can from the relationship. What is more important my sense of being right or my sense of restoring relationship?

This is not about excusing wrong or failing to challenge dangerous behaviour. What it is about is choosing moments to help people grow and doing it from a position of mercy and grace rather than the heavy-high-handed position of piety that it’s easy to take especially when I’ve been bruised and hurt.

Now this takes time, the hurts are real, the pain is great, but God’s grace and forgiveness of me is greater. There is nothing that any individual could do to me that the accumulated sins of humanity could do to the Son of God and what I do in sinning. Releasing them in forgiveness works in a smaller way to the effect Jesus gives all the time in being true to His promise that if I confess He is faithful to forgive and cleanse. Now even if the wounding party is oblivious to their position, it is my responsibility to follow the Way of the Master.

It is a responsibility I am able to exercise only because the Son has given His Spirit and as I am filled with Him, I am able to exercise His gifts and produce His fruit of which are qualities that give no room for such bitter, negative things as keeping offense. That is thus the prayer I have as God shines His light in my character and replaces the dross with His Son’s righteousness and takes me along the paths of character formation that reflects His own.

In all this the truth is, Jesus loves me and that’s all that matters.

(See also Matthew 18:21-35)

For His Name's Sake

Shalom

dmcd

Daily Thoughts – Celebrate: New Mercies

The steadfast love of the LORD never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. (Lamentations 3:22, 23)

In hard times when it’s difficult to smile let alone celebrate there’s something worth remembering. Like a beam of sunshine on a rainy day and the glowing ember in a fire there is something irresistible about the never-ending love of God. That love is expressed in mercy – not feeling the full brunt of life’s miseries. For bad though things may appear things could be worse – whether missing that accident, seeing a smile instead of a frown, eating rather than starving, having a friend and not being lonely, life and not death. Every day new mercies are offered for our celebration.

For His Name’s Sake
Shalom
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