this world v. Grace

Yesterday I wrote an e-mail with some thoughts that I felt are rather profound. I wanted to capture those thoughts here.

Yeah I know, it's been a while. I'm gonna be a father you know...excited and scared at the same time. I'm with Eldredge...I'd describe this as both Epic and Intimate. Epic in that I know there will be challenges, or battles to fight. Intimate in that to behold such a tiny human being that I dare say God fusses over all the tiniest details to get everything just right.

I just read your latest blog entry. I've come to conclude that the single-most difficult concept to comprehend of God is His beautiful, wonderful, and amazing Grace. Just breath that in for a moment. Grace.

We grow up in a culture and society that says, basically, you have to earn everything. You don't get anything for free. We live in a world that indeed rewards people, especially young people, for their accomplishments or achievements. So those who don't accomplish __________ or achieve ____________ (fill in the blanks) are basically told they are of little or no value. I remember Dr. Bob pointing out that we're called Human Beings, not Human Doings. This would certainly give answer to why so many people rush around so fast. It's so they can accomplish as much as they can so as not to lose any "value".

However...you look at God and His amazing Grace and we see the complete opposite! When the world says "you don't have much value because you don't accomplish much", Grace says "you have an immeasurable value!" Grace says we don't have to do anything to win His favor because His favor is already ours, and this is so because of Jesus Christ! The world puts so many qualifications that must be met in order to receive this or that. With Grace, there are no qualifications or accomplishments or achievements to be met. Grace is ours...freely. The world may say, "you have to qualify to be allowed in our club." Grace says, "come on in, right now, right where you are at!"

It is my daily prayer that God will continue to wrap His grace around us like a blanket. In the words of Obi-Wan Kenobi, "it surrounds us, penetrates us, and binds us together."

You don't have to prove anything. You don't have to accomplish or achieve anything. You can just simply be.




wrapped in His amazing Grace,
Tom