Grace that doesn't make sense

As I have said, this blog is about the journey of living faith and certainly isn’t written by someone who has it all together.

I actually think the idea that you must have it “all together” is the enemy of true faith. Somehow we develop a picture of what a good Christian looks like and start to become judgmental of everyone who doesn’t match up while secretly hoping no-one will truly understand just how messed up we are.

Last night Leeanne organised our family for a family devotion. Our intention is to do them regularly, but what happens in practice is that we do them when it feels like something has gone missing in the way we relate to each other.

Often our devotions are a really good time that help our family reconnect around our family values, which if you ask any of my kids, they will tell you are:

• Seeking God’s Kingdom first
• Prayer
• Generosity
• Respect
• Listening
• Truth (recently added)

Last night was an interesting test for me, because I found myself feeling irritated for no particular reason I could identify. Often I have a sense of the right “word” for the moment but last night I just wanted my kids and wife to act more like the perfect family that exists nowhere except the imagination of overwrought parents.

So I did the devotion on James “be slow to speak, quick to listen and slow to become angry”, and basically my uplifting message for my family was “try harder”. Somehow it was clear that they weren’t left with hope – which is what would be normal. It didn’t help much when Leeanne wanted to point it out. I moved from being frustrated with them to being frustrated with myself for not being the perfect father, (that probably only exists in the imagination of overwrought children).

There is a heresy in Christianity that says you have to be good in order to get Jesus to like you.

My favourite bit of Philip Yancey’s “Whats so amazing about grace” can be found on the back cover:

“There is nothing you can do to make God love you any more, and there is nothing you can do to make God love you any less”.

Grace doesn’t make sense. Karma makes sense. Karma says if you are good you will receive good things, Grace says you will receive good things no matter what you do.  In heaven we will meet people who have committed every sin known to mankind.

We are called to be agents of Grace not agents of judgement. I’m going to have to apologise to my family tonight and have another go. Its nice though to know I don’t have to be the perfect parent, leader, husband or golfer. Jesus just wants me to be me.

One of the lines I like to use when teaching or speaking is that “Jesus came to set me free, not to make me look religious.”

For me coming to terms with Grace is a journey. It’s not an accident that my favorite U2 song is simply called Grace. To end this post I will include the words. I hope they speak to you as much as they speak to me.

Grace

From “All that you can’t leave behind”

Grace

She takes the blame

She covers the shame

Removes the stain

It could be her name

Grace

It’s a name for a girl

It’s also a thought that changed the world

And when she walks on the street

You can hear the strings

Grace finds goodness in everything

Grace, she’s got the walk

Not on a ramp or on chalk

She’s got the time to talk

She travels outside of karma

She travels outside of karma

When she goes to work

You can hear her strings

Grace finds beauty in everything

Grace, she carries a world on her hips

No champagne flute for her lips

No twirls or skips between her fingertips

She carries a pearl in perfect condition

What once was hurt

What once was friction

What left a mark

No longer stings

Because grace makes beauty

Out of ugly things

Grace

Grace makes beauty out of ugly things