Grace all around...

Gratitude Journal 3-13-11
1. Flat lands of South Georgia
2. Instant news - available 24/7
3. Miracles in Japan!
4. 3 Day Retreat with Presbyterians...
5. Home and my own bed

Fred Craddock is reported to have said:
"Some folks begin their theology with Gen. 3 instead of Gen. 1..."

Excellent thought! Met lots of folks that seem to begin their faith 'understandings' there, including myself.

If you have spent much time around faith communities you too have probably met folks who have some laundry list of things they believe - in all seriousness - that they/we must do to be loved by God. We 'earn' God's love by not doing certain things or by doing certain things.

The reason this is so very interesting to me is that I know myself to have fallen into that camp too often! My list may not be like another but it is still a list.

I can hear my internal 'messages'. 'Stop swearing' 'Give to the poor' 'Pray more often' 'You haven't read your Bible this week' 'Don't make jokes about people who are different' and the list goes on and on...

ALL these items are good. But they won't get me anywhere special. They just make me a 'good person'. Grace is totally different! Grace is totally free. I don't earn it. Nothing I can do on my own gets me anything more than anybody else. Grace is a totally free gift. God why don't I begin hearing Your message that I (and all mankind) are good? You created us in Your image. We don't have to do anything but accept the love and grace you offer.

To push the ball up the hill and try to have 'perfected' behavior is creating an idol. We can't do it. We can be good (and we should to the best of our ability) but we cannot be perfect. We can love our neighbor as our self - as best we can - and it still won't be perfect. It will only make us feel good. And it may be hard - but it doesn't 'earn' us anything more than any body else.

Father - this day - may I bear GRACE all around and receive Your Grace once more!
Through Jesus Christ I pray -

SHALOM
J