“We are suspicious of grace. We are afraid of the very lavishness of the gift.”
–Madeleine L’Engle, author of A Wrinkle in Time
If you ate your broccoli, you got dessert.
If you studied your flashcards, you got a good grade.
If you worked hard, you got promoted.
In every stage of our lives, we are trained towards meritocracy. That’s why God’s grace is so shocking, so unbelievable, even so offensive to many.
Our world says: do good=get good; do bad=get bad. But God says: I see that you have done a great amount of bad over the course of your life. In fact, I know the bad that you aren’t even willing to share with those closest to you. BUT, I love you so greatly, I will pour out my goodness into your life anyways. Though you may have run away from me, I will chase you down and bring you to myself.
God’s grace is the exact opposite of what you think you deserve. No matter your past wrongdoings, your present messy situation, or whatever your future may hold, God loves you desperately.
Sound too good to be true? Don’t be suspicious, don’t be afraid of the lavishness of the gift! Just drink in the truth that God does not act like the rest of the world:
“[Salvation] does not, therefore, depend on human desire or effort, but on God’s mercy.“
–Romans 9:16
For meditation:
What times in my day-to-day do I need the reminder of God’s grace the most?
For prayer:
Dear Lord, You have helped me when I didn’t deserve to be helped. You have loved me when I didn’t deserve to be loved. You have blessed me when I didn’t deserve to be blessed. You have saved me when I didn’t deserve to be saved. Thank you, Lord. In your name I pray, amen.
