On Grace

What is grace?  As a follower of Jesus, it's something I think about a lot.  It comes up over and over again in his teachings, not to mention in all those great old songs. 

Did you know that in Koine Greek (the language in which the New Testament of the Bible was written) grace, favor, good-will, blessing, gratitude, joy, delight, and thankfulness are all the same word?  The word is charis.  It is a word of many conjugations and derivations, a word of rich, layered meaning, bringing to mind a gift, unearned and freely given.  And that's what grace is:  A gift, a source of joy and thankfulness, a state of living in delight and gratitude.  It's something I don't have to earn; I simply get to enjoy it.

Christians often equate grace with forgiveness, and rightfully so:  Forgiveness is not something one can earn; it is a gift to be given with sincerity and received with gratitude.  But grace is so much more than that.  Grace is the meadowlark singing out in my back pasture as I write this.  It's a hug from my daughter, a smile from my wife, an unexpected call from a friend.  Grace is a big laugh shared with my students, the memory of an amazing experience, a satisfying meal after a hard day of work.  Grace is sunrise on a mountain lake, the tug of a fish on the line, a glimpse of a fox in the tall grass. 

Grace is the freedom and safety I get to enjoy because of another's sacrifice.  Grace is a second chance, a redemption, an opportunity to right a wrong.  Grace is the calm assurance that there is absolutely no circumstance, no matter how difficult or painful, that God cannot turn into something beautiful.  It is the ability, indeed the responsibility, to live each day abundantly and let tomorrow worry about itself, to love those who would hurt me, to let go of resentment and fear.  It is faith, hope, and love.

Grace is the humble acceptance of all God's many gifts.  It is the narrow gate, the difficult path that leads to life.  Grace is the opposite of all that is selfish, proud, envious.  And yes, all those old songs are right on the money:  Grace is amazing.  It is wonderful.  It is all-sufficient; it reaches me; it is greater than all my sin and strife; it has brought me safe thus far, and it will lead me home.

Grace is the goodness of God, free and simple.  And I don't have to earn it.  I just have to trust in it.  I just get to enjoy it.

Comments

  1. EmilyMay 1, 2020 at 5:28 AM

    I like the look of the word in Greek: Χάρις

    A concept, or state of being, that is freely there, like oxygen. We are pretty good at accepting that state as infants, yet somehow--as we grow, and take on the complexities of life--we forget how to just breathe.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. whistlingbadgerMay 1, 2020 at 8:36 AM

      I like that you figured out how to type in Greek. Truly, you have a dizzying intellect. Thanks for reading!

      Delete

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