Understanding Grace

At the church where I'm employed and attend, we focus a lot on grace. At first this struck me as nice, but maybe a little too nice. I kind of wondered why the focus of sermons and studies wasn't more balanced, also discussing such theological issues like consequences, failings, etc. But as time has passed, I understand better the necessity of learning about grace.

Let's be honest — grace is not easy. To show grace and to receive grace are hard things to do. Our society functions much like a business. You have to earn your keep. Your main goal should be to get ahead and make lots of money. We aren't quick to trust others. We've been mislead before and now we're jaded. Think for a minute about this scenario: you see a street panhandler near your local Wal-Mart. You just want to get home and here's this person asking you for money. How do you normally react to a scenario like this? Many people wonder how the panhandler will spend the money he or she is given. Some will think that the panhandler should seek assistance through a local mission instead of begging. Others will be angry that this panhandler isn't working and isn't doing anything to earn any money. Some will simply be too scared or intimidated to approach the panhandler. All of these reactions, though normal, speak to our human nature in this world. It's a world with little grace to be found. At the heart of our reactions to this hypothetical panhandler is this: we want to have control. We want to have control of where we give our money and even over the way others spend "our" money. If we deem a person undeserving, then we won't give them our charity. This is reasonable, but it's surely not grace.

We think in terms of earning and deserving. These are normal, reasonable methods of judgment, but it's not the way of grace. In fact, Martin Luther bluntly wrote that "Reason is a whore, the greatest enemy that faith has." The reasonable way is helping only those who deserve help. The reasonable way is giving to those who are really, truly in need. But does this really add up? Who really deserves anything? And what about those that don't deserve help, or haven't earned the right to assistance? Maybe we should just send them to the gutter with a get-a-job-,-you-lazy-chump kick in the butt. The way our minds naturally operate might not be the right way of thinking at all.

It's not very easy to adopt an attitude where we see everything we have as given to us by God in the first place. It's even more difficult to relinquish control of our money and power. Our identities are based so much on where we work and what neighborhood we live in. What kind of car we drive. What clothes we wear. Again, these might be reasonable things to judge each other by, but it's not grace.

So what if we don't have the high-paying job that we could have had? So what if we don't drive a car that's less than 5 years old? So what if that person has more than me? Grace is about acceptance without limitations. Grace is about speaking positively about people you don't like. Grace is about giving someone the benefit of the doubt. Grace is also about keeping our judgments to ourselves. Grace is not easy at all.

I believe we all have a deep longing to be accepted, whether it's by a family member, our peers, or even a mysterious God that seems so distant. The news of grace is that it's already been offered to us. Embrace it. Soak it in. There's freedom in grace. Here's the kicker: it's when we truly let our guard down and admit that we're human and judgmental and misguided that we can really accept grace. C.H. Spurgeon wrote, "We hold that man is never so near grace as when he begins to feel he can do nothing at all." When we can look at ourselves and say, "Wow, I've really got my attitude and priorities twisted," that's when we're ready for grace.

Confused By "Blessings"

While not trying to start 2010 on a pessimistic note, I've been wanting to write about the topic of blessings, and specifically, my confusion over the concept of blessings. Christians love to say things such as, "Have a blessed day," or, "I feel so blessed." We thank God for the "blessings" in our lives. I do this, too, so it isn't lost on me...at least not totally. Still, I am always a little confused when a Christian, or anyone for that matter, talks about how blessed they are or how many blessings they believe are in their life.

To me, saying that you're "blessed" implies that those who don't have the amenities that Americans have—or those in other developed countries—are not "blessed." I guess I'm just irritated by what most people define as blessings. I am still trying to understand the biblical history of the word and what it meant to the people at that time. Moses wrote in chapter 23 of the book of Exodus, "Worship the LORD your God, and his blessing will be on your food and water. I will take away sickness from among you, and none will miscarry or be barren in your land. I will give you a full life span." Other biblical references to blessings indicate that blessings can be spiritual or material. If a blessing is God's special favor or mercy on someone, then how do we explain the conditions that over half the world live in? Are those who sleep on dirt floors and fall asleep hungry cursed? Are their blessings just harder to distinguish than ours? Do we define our own blessings?

I believe I am blessed. I have a wonderful family, have enough money for each day and a comfortable place to rest my head each night. By the world's standards, I'm blessed. I have a relationship with God, a life with purpose and an inner peace. In spiritual terms, I'm blessed. But still the lingering questions remain. Are those without enough food or money or good health not blessed? And if I didn't have enough food or money or good health, would I still have faith, purpose and inner peace?

What all of this confusion leads me to is this: being very careful about saying, "I'm blessed." Though I am continually grateful for what I have and enjoy in my life, I hate describing these joys as "blessings," lest I forget those without. Blessings come in many different forms, for sure, but it still irks me to hear any American say that they're "blessed." We're "blessed" by default of where we were born. That's not exactly a blessing from God. Or is it? I still can't totally believe that. God has always presented himself as a defender of the weak and the poor, so if riches and material goodies are your "blessings," I'd take another look at who Jesus cared for the most. I've got as many creature comforts as the next guy—I just don't want to call them "blessings." Why do some have their "daily bread," while others go to sleep hungry? Could it be a deeper problem—that within the world's resources, there is enough for everyone, but because of greed those resources aren't dispensed with grace and justice? I am a blessed person. But I'll only feel that way so long as I'm sharing those "blessings."

The Best Christmas Present

At the risk of sounding utterly cliché, I wanted to write about my daughter's first Christmas and what a joy she is to my wife and me. Presents under the tree are always fun, especially because our family lives on a Dave Ramsey budget that doesn't usually allow for unnecessary extravagances each month. Christmas is when we stock up on entertainment and goodies for the year. We don't have cable, either, so a brand-new season of a favorite t.v. show is received with much gratitude. As fun as these presents are, my daughter, Lydia, is the best gift I could ever receive. To see her smile is a joy that stays with me throughout the day. To see her crawl and make new discoveries fills me with pleasure. Whether she's banging on a pot or pan, grabbing at a yet-to-be-opened Christmas gift, or chewing on a toy block, she's a wonder to behold.

Throughout the year, there are so many things that we can complain and squabble about. It's refreshing to look at a baby and be reminded of simplicity and grace. That's really what this season is about, right? A baby who came and changed everything, just like any new baby does to its parents. Nothing's the same anymore. Everything a parent does now revolves around that child and his or her schedule. A baby requires lots of love and attention. Some changes that a baby causes are hard: long, sleep-deprived nights, fussy mealtimes, constant attention and care. A baby is supposed to change our lives. Sometimes those changes are difficult to adjust to, but the reward is ultimately a lifetime of love. Whether a parent or not, it's nice to remember how a baby is supposed to pervade our life and change us from within.