I’m so grateful to Christ Jesus for making me adequate to do this work. He went out on a limb, you know, in trusting me with this ministry. The only credentials I brought to it were invective and witch hunts and arrogance. But I was treated mercifully because I didn’t know what I was doing—didn’t know Who I was doing it against! Grace mixed with faith and love poured over me and into me. And all because of Jesus.
Scripture quotations from The Message. © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002 by Eugene Peterson. Used by permission of NavPress, Colorado Springs, CO. All rights reserved.
We have a running joke in our family about our niece and nephew – both grown now with children of their own – and their “competitive” card playing some twenty-plus years ago. One would claim the other cheated, and the “winner” would gloat like there was no tomorrow. There was no grace or mercy in their games of “Old Maid”…it was every person for himself/herself, and the “winner” bragged unapologetically!
As you might imagine, there were quite a few hurt feelings as a result of these exchanges…and each gained a “reputation” as a “cheater” – or at least a “bad sport”. But as the kids grew and matured, they learned to “forgive and forget” (although an occasional tongue-in-cheek jab still appears from time to time on Facebook!)…and the two of them have mutual love and respect for each other today. They realize that these were the behaviors of somewhat-innocent children who really didn’t know better or fully understand the long-term ramifications of breaking the rules - even in a child’s game of “Old Maid”.
We are like these children…eager to have our own way – and perhaps willing to say or do things we shouldn’t in order to get it. At least, this would have described many of us before we had a personal encounter with Jesus. And perhaps even today, some of us who claim to know Him continue to be critical…insulting…and arrogant. We ridicule others and gloat about everything from “our” team’s latest win to our personal possessions and accomplishments. And we fail to remember that Jesus told us in Matthew 25:40 that…" When you did it to these my brothers, you were doing it to me!” (Living Bible)
Today, I am humbled and grateful for Jesus’s “grace mixed with faith and love poured over me and into me.” I am thankful that He offers me mercy and forgives my sins. I want to honor the trust that Jesus has placed in me to “minister” to others in His name by acting with integrity and respect – for Him and for others. I want to conduct myself in a way that reflects His grace and mercy over me...and to share Him in this same manner with those whom I encounter.
Often, our immediate “gut-reaction” to outside comments and actions is to retaliate…to yell, “He/she cheated!” But Jesus has demonstrated compassion and tolerance…and if we want to be like Him, we must pay this forward.
Let’s start today with a prayer of gratitude for the grace, mercy, forgiveness and acceptance that Jesus offers each of us. And then let’s make a concerted effort to honor Him by sharing these things with everyone we meet…even those who insult or disrespect us or show us no mercy in return. It won’t always be easy, but that will make it even more honorable and tender to Jesus. Isn’t He worth the effort? How grateful are you for what He has done in your life…and just how far are you willing to go to show it?
©2014 Debbie Robus
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