We want to put people into Boxes. We become offended or turned-off by something they say or do and label them. We want it to be simple. He’s good and she’s bad. She’s got a really good heart and well, he’s just plain selfish. However, the thing is, life just doesn’t work that way. No one person’s deeds are all good nor all bad.
Yet, we are quick to judge, quick to suspect their motives. Once we have put someone or a group of people in that ”not-so-good” or not trustworthy or ”less spiritual” category we are tempted to see all they do through that lens. Even the good they do is questionable.
It is sad that we do this. We do it with ourselves, too. We want our motives and actions to be pure and loving. We examine them and label them. We describe what we do as being “in the spirit” or “in the flesh.” While there is merit in examining our motives and it is important to examine our consciences there is a danger in seeing things in black and white.
We humans are made of the physical and spiritual. Seldom are the motives behind what we do entirely pure. This is why we need Grace. We can do wonderful things in the name and Love of Jesus and even those deeds can be tainted by self-love. Yet, Papa’s Grace takes those deeds of Love offered by faith and redeems them and us. This is the glory and wonder of living in Father’s Grace, instead of the system of the Law. No longer must our deeds be perfect in order to be accepted by Papa.
Instead, our deeds, born of the Spirit and tainted by our still-human-physical natures, are accepted by Father and bring beauty, love and blessings despite their imperfections. This by no means gives us permission to cease striving for Perfect Love. “What shall we say then, shall we continue to sin so that Grace may abound. Certainly not…” (Romans 6:1). No, instead this Father’s Grace should motivate us all the more to love like Jesus and extend this same grace to others.
We desperately need to see others through this same lens of Grace. Our brothers and sisters in Christ will not always have the same way of living as we do. They may have their own agendas. Our family members will not love us perfectly. Nobody can…perfectly. Ministry and political leaders will not lead perfectly. Like you and I, they are made of the physical and spiritual. Even their best attempts to love “in the spirit” will probably be tainted by their own self-interest and self-love. They, too, are in the process of learning how to love.
We can’t write-off individuals or groups of people simply because we encounter that self-interest and self-love. We cannot declare their efforts to lead, to follow, to love and befriend or to work for the Kingdom of God as null and void simply because we come in contact with their physicality or Old Nature behaviors. No, instead we are called to live in Grace.
We are called to receive one another and our deeds in a spirit of Love. We are called to see the image and Love of Jesus in one another offering unmerited favor to each other despite our imperfect attempts to live in unity, love, holiness and peace.
What are your thoughts?
Yet, we are quick to judge, quick to suspect their motives. Once we have put someone or a group of people in that ”not-so-good” or not trustworthy or ”less spiritual” category we are tempted to see all they do through that lens. Even the good they do is questionable.
It is sad that we do this. We do it with ourselves, too. We want our motives and actions to be pure and loving. We examine them and label them. We describe what we do as being “in the spirit” or “in the flesh.” While there is merit in examining our motives and it is important to examine our consciences there is a danger in seeing things in black and white.
We humans are made of the physical and spiritual. Seldom are the motives behind what we do entirely pure. This is why we need Grace. We can do wonderful things in the name and Love of Jesus and even those deeds can be tainted by self-love. Yet, Papa’s Grace takes those deeds of Love offered by faith and redeems them and us. This is the glory and wonder of living in Father’s Grace, instead of the system of the Law. No longer must our deeds be perfect in order to be accepted by Papa.
Instead, our deeds, born of the Spirit and tainted by our still-human-physical natures, are accepted by Father and bring beauty, love and blessings despite their imperfections. This by no means gives us permission to cease striving for Perfect Love. “What shall we say then, shall we continue to sin so that Grace may abound. Certainly not…” (Romans 6:1). No, instead this Father’s Grace should motivate us all the more to love like Jesus and extend this same grace to others.
We desperately need to see others through this same lens of Grace. Our brothers and sisters in Christ will not always have the same way of living as we do. They may have their own agendas. Our family members will not love us perfectly. Nobody can…perfectly. Ministry and political leaders will not lead perfectly. Like you and I, they are made of the physical and spiritual. Even their best attempts to love “in the spirit” will probably be tainted by their own self-interest and self-love. They, too, are in the process of learning how to love.
We can’t write-off individuals or groups of people simply because we encounter that self-interest and self-love. We cannot declare their efforts to lead, to follow, to love and befriend or to work for the Kingdom of God as null and void simply because we come in contact with their physicality or Old Nature behaviors. No, instead we are called to live in Grace.
We are called to receive one another and our deeds in a spirit of Love. We are called to see the image and Love of Jesus in one another offering unmerited favor to each other despite our imperfect attempts to live in unity, love, holiness and peace.
What are your thoughts?
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