“…so that you can determine what really matters….:
Philippians 1:10
An old friend of mine spent a lot of time helping me get a grip on life. I was still on a pursuit to make life “fair” by putting people in their place, joining up with campaigns to uncover wrongdoing, and making it my duty to point out the errors made by other people (did I clarify other people?). I was determined to create a perfect world where everyone played by the books (no, not The Book). I had my own agenda, and even though I cloaked it under the guise of Christian living, it didn’t have a tinge of mercy or grace.
My friend did her best to re-direct my self-righteous claims on other people’s lives. “Will it matter five years from now?” she would ask as I criticized and scrutinized every word, action and intention that offended, missed the mark or appeared misguided.
It took years of failure, pain, honesty, and the healing work of the Holy Spirit of God to convince me that grace is a far better option than fairness. If fairness were all that was offered, I would be condemned for eternity. Only grace frees me from what I deserve. When I began to own that truth, I was able to see others in a new light. They were just like me. No matter their shortcomings, we’re all in the same boat - on the way to hell without a paddle and in need of a lifeline in the shape of a cross.
When I extend grace, I am spreading the love and forgiveness of Christ. And once the wrongdoing is covered, my vision is no longer riveted on the error. Instead, I see the heart of the offender and God’s greater plan for all of us – to be changed to look like Christ.
Grace changes everything. An argument changes from a point to be made or a wrong to be righted into a desire to get at the heart of the matter: to see if I have been offensive in some way or to find out what I can do to help the other person. An offense changes from a “Gotcha!” attitude to a desire to pray for the other person to have a change of heart. And when things aren’t done “right,” the Five-Year Formula is simpler to apply.
One day life will be fair. Jesus is coming again, and He will establish a new heaven and earth, where He will reign in righteousness. That is the only fairness that will ever be real.
So, I have learned to re-phrase my friend’s question. As I focus more and more on life in God’s eternal kingdom, I ask myself this question: “Will it matter 1,000 years from now?” In fact, if the situations, irritations and decisions I encounter don’t impact eternity, do they really matter at all?
An old friend of mine spent a lot of time helping me get a grip on life. I was still on a pursuit to make life “fair” by putting people in their place, joining up with campaigns to uncover wrongdoing, and making it my duty to point out the errors made by other people (did I clarify other people?). I was determined to create a perfect world where everyone played by the books (no, not The Book). I had my own agenda, and even though I cloaked it under the guise of Christian living, it didn’t have a tinge of mercy or grace.
My friend did her best to re-direct my self-righteous claims on other people’s lives. “Will it matter five years from now?” she would ask as I criticized and scrutinized every word, action and intention that offended, missed the mark or appeared misguided.
It took years of failure, pain, honesty, and the healing work of the Holy Spirit of God to convince me that grace is a far better option than fairness. If fairness were all that was offered, I would be condemned for eternity. Only grace frees me from what I deserve. When I began to own that truth, I was able to see others in a new light. They were just like me. No matter their shortcomings, we’re all in the same boat - on the way to hell without a paddle and in need of a lifeline in the shape of a cross.
When I extend grace, I am spreading the love and forgiveness of Christ. And once the wrongdoing is covered, my vision is no longer riveted on the error. Instead, I see the heart of the offender and God’s greater plan for all of us – to be changed to look like Christ.
Grace changes everything. An argument changes from a point to be made or a wrong to be righted into a desire to get at the heart of the matter: to see if I have been offensive in some way or to find out what I can do to help the other person. An offense changes from a “Gotcha!” attitude to a desire to pray for the other person to have a change of heart. And when things aren’t done “right,” the Five-Year Formula is simpler to apply.
One day life will be fair. Jesus is coming again, and He will establish a new heaven and earth, where He will reign in righteousness. That is the only fairness that will ever be real.
So, I have learned to re-phrase my friend’s question. As I focus more and more on life in God’s eternal kingdom, I ask myself this question: “Will it matter 1,000 years from now?” In fact, if the situations, irritations and decisions I encounter don’t impact eternity, do they really matter at all?
1 comment:
What a fresh word. Thanks for that, I needed that reminder today.
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