A Space For Grace

"Amazing grace how sweet the sound..." If you've spent any amount of time in church or around the churched you are, no doubt, familiar with this hymn. I sang this to myself yesterday and immediately paused after that line. How sweet...why sweet? What is it about the sound of grace that makes it music to our ears. As Philip Yancey askes, in his award winning book, what is it that is so amazing about grace?

We live in a world where we are taught two wrongs do in fact make a right. Our society teaches us to rip apart and serve on a platter those who have crossed us. If you doubt this for even a second think about how quickly we turned on Jon and Kate Plus 8, when they were less than perfect. As if we are warriors on a jaded crusade to out the posers, we offer up the less than perfect to the slaughter.

I imagine the thing that is so sweet about the sound of grace is simply the contrast of it. The sound is sweet, the act so amazing because it is elusive. Philip Yancey says in his book (If you've never read it, do yourself the favor.) "Grace is the most perplexing, powerful force in the universe,  and, I believe, the only hope for our twisted, violent planet." I think most of us would agree that sinners need grace. But what about the saints? Friends if your understanding of the Word and salvation has made you bitter towards mistake makers, I dare say you have missed the point. I've been dealing with this a lot in the last couple years. So much room and understanding I had for the lost, after all they don't know any better. But when it came to the brethren, how quickly I was to judge and cast aside. "You knew better and you did it anyway! You deserve your mess! You deserve for me to embarrass you in public." I would think to myself. News flash: We all deserve our mess. If we are playing this game based on what  we have coming to us, everyone loses. My fabulous Pastor's wife said once that "When we respond to hurt with love, the world gets to see Jesus." Grace does the most good, when it is least deserved. Every time we respond to hurt with more hurt, we ruin our witness. 

So give grace, give it til it hurts. He did. Give the kind of grace you'd hope to receive. If we can not allow people to be human it is most likely because we think of ourselves higher than we ought to. At the end of the day, do you really want to be the one yelling "Crucify him." Don't free the Barabas inside of you, in an effort to be right. Save a space in your heart for grace friends!

Be Still Clothing Company I just love all of their stuff! 

This Be Still is from another verse, but I'm going to use it anyway. ;) 

The Lord will fight for you, you need only be still. Ex. 14:14