We Grow to Expect Grace

Posted on Wednesday, November 28th, 2007 at 3:35 pm

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I hesitated to write this blog for fear that it would sound mean-spirited.  Please understand that my intention here is not to give anyone, particularly my students, a hard time.  My intention is to remind us all, most of all myself, of how easy it is to grow to expect things that are above and beyond the call.  Mostly we should remember how easy it is to grow to expect the grace of God.

I use power point in my classes a great deal.  I try, whenever I can to put the slide shows on the site before the lecture so that students can follow along and not feel like they need to write everything, but can concentrate on actually listening.  I maintain the site with the help of my dear friend Jared and spend a good bit of time putting things up, getting them ready for the site, ect.  All of this is not required or expected of my by the seminary.  I started this site because I wanted a way to distribute materials to my students in an easy manner for them.

In the year or so that I have had the site, I have had a few students that have donated to help out with the costs, some who have thanked me for the extra work that I put in to make the materials available to them, and most who simply take the materials gladly and move on.  No problem, that is what the site is for, distribution of materials. 

Earlier this week, through some quirk, one of the links to a particular slide show did not work.  It was interesting how many students needed to inform me of the nonworking link and ask me when it was going to be fixed.  Students who had never mentioned the site, whom I had never known were using the site all of a sudden were asking me when I was going to have the link fixed. 

It all reminded me of the fact that when we are given things that we do not deserve (grace) we sometimes come to expect them, and when they are not there we cry “foul, where is that grace that I have been used to getting?” Don’t get me wrong, I don’t blame my students at all.  I would have done the same thing.  It just shows us all how we are prone to take the wonderful grace that God has given us and turn it into something that we expect and deserve.

Make no mistake about it, none of us deserve the gift of salvation from God, but he has graciously given it to us.  Let us never presume on that grace by reacting as if God “owes us something.” All that God gives us, he does so from a sense of grace.  We don’t deserve it.  We will never deserve it.  At this time of year let’s spend more time in thanksgiving and less in demanding, either from God or from other people.  Let’s stop and see what we can do for someone, rather than ask them why they didn’t do something for us.  Let’s take the grace that has been given to us and spread it around in the name of Christ.  Let’s actually act like Christians.  Is that a radical idea?

John Newton, the writer of Amazing Grace, and the slave trader turned pastor, was asked as a very old man what he remembered about his life.  He said something like “I am a great sinner, and Jesus is a great Saviour.”

I need more grace in my own heart, more grace toward others, more kindness, more patience, more love.  I need to show those around me that I do not take the grace that God has given me for granted.

Onward . . .

SamLam