THIS THING CALLED GRACE

It is by grace ye are saved through faith; and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God: Not of works, less any man should boast (Ephesians 2:8-9 KJV).


What is Grace? Who can define it? Who can fathom it? Who can measure its depth? Grace is one of those words we banter around as if we know what it means; and yet we have only a glimpse of its true worth. Our understanding of this Heavenly gift is muted by our humanity that wants to analyze, define, and compare every form of experience. Unless we can articulate it, we feel we cannot own it. If we cannot feel it, we don’t believe it exists. If it is not better than what we have, we will reject it altogether. Perhaps that is why Grace, freely given, is easily ignored. How can we finite beings expect to define the infinite? We are foolish to try. God’s full disclosure would overwhelm our puniness. Still, we cry out, “Show us Grace.” And, so, like Moses, He hides us in the crevices and lets us experience a portion of His wonder. This to me is Grace, that indefinable Grace that only God can give: He who is all sufficient finds His pleasure in us.

WHO CAN WE TRUST?

The story is told of two monks who each planted a shrub. The first monk prayed for sun and rain. The shrub died. The second monk’s shrub flourished. Disappointed in the outcome, the first monk asked the second monk what he did differently. The second monk told the first monk, “I, too, prayed for my shrub. But I asked God to give it what it needed.”

When we try to figure out what we need, we want to trust our own instincts. Consequently, our judgment is poor. Or what we think is good judgment may be in direct opposition to what we actually need. When it comes right down to it, I’d rather trust the person who knows how many hairs are on my head (Matthew 10:30) than my own imperfect knowledge.

Our judgments are askew because we attempt the wrong intervention at the wrong time. We don’t get the results we’d like because our energies are expended in fruitless or misguided ventures. We seek God last instead of first.

God has given us a companion who knows exactly what we need and when we need it. How much sorrow we could avoid by consulting with Him first!


And I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Counselor to be with you forever—The Spirit of Truth (John 14:15 NIV)