Where’s the grace?

Do you recall the Wendy’s television commercial where the older woman asked the question ‘Where’s the beef’? Well, I want you to consider this question for our day – Where’s the grace?

Grace defined:
1. elegance - beauty, smoothness of form or movement,
2. politeness – dignified, polite, decent behavior,
3. generosity of spirit – a capacity to tolerate, accommodate or forgive people,
4. pleasing quality – a pleasing and admirable quality or characteristic,
5. gift of God to mankind – in Christianity, the infinite love, mercy, favor and goodwill shown to humankind by God

We seem to be rapidly moving towards an era in our country where the concept of grace is disappearing from daily life. It seems that a once gracious people have been replaced with extremely self indulgent people who have an attitude – it’s ALL about me. From how we drive our vehicles, to how we act in a store or restaurant, to how we seem to be so self-focused most of the time that we don’t even acknowledge one another anymore.

I realize that I should not expect much from the world for the darkness pervades men’s souls and thrives on self absorption, but what about the church - the body of Christ? We are to be His grace dispensers, first to the body then to the lost world around us. And His grace is shown through our love – not what the world calls love but God’s love that is poured out for us and through us. Are we instruments of His grace to the body or have we bought the world’s view that self-interest is what it is all about?

"A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another, even as I have loved you, that you also love one another. "By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another."
(John 13:34-35)

…and may the Lord cause you to increase and abound in love for one another, and for all people…
(1 Thessalonians 3:12)

Lord, help us to be the grace and truth dispensers that You redeemed us to be, let us set aside and move beyond the selfishness of our age by the power of Your Spirit, may we focus upon You and Your love for us so that we in turn might share Your love with those around us – which is the gospel message.

May our challenge be to ask ourselves this question in our daily lives – Where’s the grace?

JESUS AND JESUS ONLY TO SPEAK ABOUT

I wish to speak to you about Jesus, and Jesus only. I often hear people say, "I wish I could get hold of Divine Healing, but I cannot." Sometimes they say, "I have got it." If I ask them, "What have you got?" the answer is sometimes, "I have got the blessing", sometimes it is, "I have got the theory"; sometimes it is, "I have got the healing"; sometimes, "I have got the sanctification."

But I thank God we have been taught that it is not the blessing, it is not the healing, it is not the sanctification, it is not the thing, it is not the 'it' that you want, but "it" is something better. It is "the Christ"; it is Himself. How often that comes out in His Word - "Himself took our infirmities and bare our sicknesses", Himself "bare our sins in his own body on the tree"!

It is the person of Jesus Christ we want. Plenty of people get the idea and do not get anything out of IT. They get IT into their head, and IT into their conscience, and IT into their will; but somehow they do not get Him into their life and spirit, because they have only that which is the outward expression and symbol of the spiritual reality.

A.B. Simpson (1843-1919) - Founder of the Christian and Missionary Alliance movement. He was known for his missionary zeal to spread the gospel to the world.

Determination, perseverance and steadfastness like a weed!

Have you ever watched as weeds pop up in the most unexpected places and seem to thrive where you can’t even get grass to grow – like rock-infested, concrete hardened, sun baked-clay dirt! Normally I get the winter months off from doing weed patrol in our back yard (we like to think of it as our little desert oasis!) but this winter those old, steadfast and persistent weeds have decided not to give me a break.

In thinking about those old persistent weeds it reminds me of our call to determination, perseverance and steadfastness in our walk of faith. Whether it’s soft soil or hardened dirt or even cracks in the concrete, those weeds just keep growing! And even though I keep trying to get rid of them, their determination, perseverance and steadfastness keep them coming back. So it should be with our walk of faith. No matter what the environment around us may be, we should just keep growing in the grace and truth of our Lord - whether it is trials or
tribulations (hardened dirt), or persecution (cracks in the concrete), or even abundant blessing (soft soil) – our determination, perseverance and steadfastness should remain focused upon Him – growing into His image.

And the benefit of the Christian walk is that we are not on our own – Jesus promised that He would never leave us nor forsake us and that His Holy Spirit would indwell within us and guide us.

So fellow sojourning weeds, it is our mission to stand tall, stand out, stand strong and with determination, perseverance and steadfastness may we grow into His likeness no matter what our soil conditions may be.

W - willingly
E - enduring
E - everything with
D - determination and
S - steadfastness