If grace wasn’t already a tricky enough concept in my life, it has taken on a whole new level of complexity since I have been here in Thailand. When working with a broken population such as the people I come in contact with at the Well, you cry out for a revelation of grace daily. Living in the home of the couple who founded the ministry I work with has given me an inside look into the internal struggle of what grace looks like. Phone calls from a former student who they only hear from when the money has run out tell about being stuck at a bus station, needing 200 baht brought to them. Another steals from her roommate and tries to pretend nothing happened until she is confronted. Just this week, a tough conversation had to happen with a student who violated his contract with us by using drugs and Well leadership had to make a decision: uphold the agreement, putting a family of four in financial crisis or let him come back to work. I don’t even have any responsibility or authority-just hearing them process these things makes me exhausted!
I was listening to a sermon by Bill Johnson this past Friday and it gave me some good stuff to chew on about this very topic. Grace is typically defined as unmerited favor. Johnson expands upon this by saying grace doesn’t just enable you, but empowers you to be transformed.
That really struck me. Grace, if rightly received, is always accompanied by transformation. It made me think about times I have tried to dish out cheap versions of grace in the past that did not release transformation in its recipients. Or times that I have assumed something was God’s grace in my life. I was grateful for it, but it didn’t spur me on to any greater level of reformation.
Johnson ended his sermon with Romans 5:17
“…how much more will those who receive God’s abundant provision of grace… reign in life through the one man Jesus Christ”
YES. The receiving of His grace allows each one of us not to just live, but REIGN in this life. Break me off a piece of that!
What do you think? What does grace look like in your life? And in the lives of those you are called to extend it to?
Grace—what a wonderful subject for those of us who know it.I remember, Jessica, many years back, our county correctional institution(of course that means “jail”) had an agreement with about 6 churches in the community that we come out as members and sing before the preacher gave a message on Sat. nights. We rotated churches, and one rainy Sat. winter night, we had about 6 members go, and met in a concrete wall room with the prisoners who chose to come on the other side of wall high bars, about 15 or 20 of them. We’d picked out a song to sing for a duet, and prayed about it, also we led a couple songs from their hymnbook before the preacher brought a message. Then one of the older ladies who went said, “Let them pick out a song.” It touched me so that 3 or 4 without hesitation, said loudly, “Amazing Grace”. One had a guitar, along with our piano playing, and you could tell this was the one they knew best. We went over that night hoping to bring them a message, and I knew they gave the best one, with their song. We didn’t know what they were in there for, but they sang a great message, that “God’s grace covers it all” for those who turn to Him. In the hectic-ness of the work in Thailand, we’ll still pray that the cross will be lifted up in your life and the life of those you are working with.
Your friend in Christ, Emily
this sermon rocked my understanding of grace too. glad you’re plugged in from afar! 🙂 What would it look like if we understood that God’s grace wasn’t just touchy-feely, but came with transforming power? it’s def. a thinker…
love you chickie.
I’ll have to listen to that sermon. I love how strong’s defines grace: the divine influence on the heart. very different than unmerited favor. the divine influence changes me and that’s true grace.