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There comes a time, when you’re deeply
aware of just how much grace God has poured
into your life, that you simply cannot hold
it inside you anymore. It occurs to you that
to hoard grace is an oxymoron, and that if
you do so, that makes you, well, a moron.
You must release it, let it out. Share
it. Jesus said, if you’ve forgiven much,
you’ll love much (see Luke 7). He also said,
“No one lights a lamp and hides it in a jar
or puts it under a bed. Instead, he puts it
on a stand, so that those who come in can
see the light.” (Luke 8:16)
Growing up, I was told shining your light
was a metaphor for witnessing, which in the
evangelical tradition I found myself a part
of, meant giving a verbal witness: sharing
the plan of salvation with people. And
dragging them, somehow, across “the line of
faith.” And to do that, I should “let my
little light shine.” And people actually
kept track of how many souls they had “won
to Christ.” Like it was a contest, or
something.
Yeah. I wonder, doesn’t a life, radically
changed by grace, shine brighter than an
argument about the existence of God? Isn’t
radical forgiveness, or generosity, a more
convincing apologetic than intellectual or
philosophical gymnastics?
Grace (if you let it) shifts your
perspective. You aren’t in denial about your
difficult marriage or your financial, um,
situation. But you choose joy in spite of
those things, because you focus on the
goodness of God. His presence, his
forgiveness, the inexplicable joy that fills
you not because things are going well, but
in spite of the fact that actually, they’re
not going that well. You realize you’ve been
forgiven much, and as a result, you can love
liberally. And here’s the crazy thing: when
you give love and grace to others, you feel
more joyful.
In other words, grace, and the joy it
brings, makes no sense. Which is precisely
why it’s such a gift. You can try to
manufacture a positive attitude without
experiencing grace. But it’s going to be
just that—manufactured. Or you can receive
the grace of God, and then choose to let
what is already inside simply shine out on
everyone around you.
In the last month, I’ve heard a few times
the reminder that justice is getting what
you deserve, mercy is not getting what you
deserve, but grace is getting what you don’t
deserve. In other words, even though we
don’t deserve God’s love and his welcome
into the family, he offers that very thing.
If we fully grasp the truth of grace, it
would change how we live, and especially,
how we love.
These are difficult times. The stock
market is a mess, and that’s having
repercussions around the world and in our
daily lives. Natural disasters seem to be
more common. The cost of living continues to
rise, along with unemployment.
So if there was ever a time that we
needed a grace perspective, it would be now.
If there were ever times that try our souls,
if there were ever times that would stretch
us to have joy in spite of our
circumstances, that would these times, these
circumstances.
How can we experience grace when our
planet seems to have fallen from it? God’s
grace is not dependent on our circumstances.
In fact, the bigger the mess, the more we
need (and receive) his grace.
Three reminders that will help you to
find grace in the midst of the mess:
1. Ask, and it shall be given. So
many Christians I meet seem to believe
they are saved by grace, but they don’t
live by grace. The grace they know is
very small and scrappy, like a get out
of jail free card. While God’s grace
saves us once and for all, it is still
something we grow in each day. Ask for
God’s grace to fill you, each day. Let
it flow through you to your friends, and
to your enemies. Let it release you from
both guilt and grudges. You cannot do
this on your own—ask each day for enough
grace to get through, and enough grace
to share with others.
2. You have enough. When we focus
on ourselves, and our problems, we often
lose perspective. If you have a roof
over your head and food on the table,
you have a lot more than many others. I
try to regularly rub shoulders with
folks who have it much worse than me—the
women in the homeless shelter, the
friend whose husband has been out of
work for six months, the single mom
who’s working and going to school. That
single mom is someone I just met. She
told me that her budget is very tight,
but she realized that if she cut out
cable television, she’d have an extra
$30 per month. Which she did. Not so she
could go get a manicure. But so she
could sponsor a child in a third-world
country. I was amazed. Here is this
young mom of two preschoolers, trying to
figure out a way to sponsor a child.
Because God’s grace is sufficient in her
life. If she can do this, you can too.
Because I think this young mom will be
experiencing grace in amazing ways,
because of how she has chosen to live
her priorities.
3. Gratitude empowers. At the
risk of sounding like Oprah, having a
positive attitude and choosing to be
grateful actually makes you feel more
joyful. And conveying that gratitude to
others is a way of letting your light
shine. Even among the rocks, look for
the hidden diamonds. What is good in
your life? Are your children healthy? Do
you have a job? Do you have a few good
friends? Are you healthy enough to take
a walk around the block? These are all
blessings. Say thank you, and share your
joy with those around you.
May you experience extravagant grace, and
shine that grace on all you meet. God knows,
we all need it.
Until next time!
Keri Wyatt Kent
Book Reviews
Sin Boldly: A Field Guide for Grace
By Cathleen Falsani
Retail: $19.99
Our Price: $15.99
I’ve always been a fan of Cathleen
Falsani, a religion writer for the Chicago
Sun-Times. She’s always found a way to
balance journalistic objectivity with her
no-apologies Christianity. She’s a very
talented writer who crafts her words with
precision and beauty.
While she has often written about the
spiritual journeys of others in her
newspaper column, in this book, she looks at
her own journey of grace. She writes of
travels around the world, from Graceland
(yeah, Elvis’ home) to Kiberia (a slum in
Nairobi), finding stories of grace.
She draws her title from a famous quote
from Martin Luther (see it below) but
explains that Luther was not advocating
wanton behavior, but rather, warning us
against false piousness and pride. We are
all sinners in need of grace, and we can’t
change that or try to hide it.
This is a collection of honest stories
that show (rather than tell) us all about
grace, against the backdrop of the author’s
own struggles, uncertainties, and joys.
Quotable Quote
“If you are a preacher of Grace, then
preach a true, not a fictitious grace; if
grace is true, you must bear a true and not
a fictitious sin. God does not save people
who are only fictitious sinners. Be a sinner
and sin boldly, but believe and rejoice in
Christ even more boldly. For he is
victorious over sin, death and the world. As
long as we are here we have to sin. This
life is not the dwelling place of
righteousness but, as Peter says, we look
for a new heavens and a new earth in which
righteousness dwells. Pray boldly—you too
are a mighty sinner.”
~Martin Luther
Deeper Connection
What do you think it
means to say “grace is getting what you
don’t deserve”? Where have you
experienced grace in your life? Does it
amaze you?
Connecting with Keri: Speaking
Keri will be in the Los Angeles area this
month for the following engagements:
Thurs., Oct. 16: 9:30 a.m. at The
Shoreline Church in San Clemente, CA
Fri., Oct. 17: 9 a.m. at Yorba Linda
Friends Church MOPS group, Yorba Linda, CA
Oct. 17-19: Lead retreat for Voyagers
Church in Irvine, CA
Keri will speak at the Women’s Ecumenical
Fall Retreat in Blair, NE October 25.
Keri will speak at the First Church of
God in Hoopeston, IL on November 13.
Keri will speak at MOPS at Immanuel
Lutheran Church in Crystal Lake, IL on
November 18.
Keri is currently accepting speaking
engagements for December 2008 and beyond.
You can see her full speaking schedule at
www.keriwyattkent.com
Connecting with Keri: Web
Check out Keri’s
blog, Deep Breathing for the Soul, at
www.keriwyattkent.com/soul/
You can read Keri’s latest musings on the
connection between faith and real life, you
can post a question about any of her books
or other writings.
If you are a parent or work with kids,
and feel like you are always pouring out,
click over to Keri’s “For Your Soul” column
http://www.christianitytoday.com/childrensministry/articles/
and get filled up. This column, written
for those who minister to children, will
give you encouragement and practical help
with nurturing your own soul.
Print
Pick up the October issue of Christianity
Today magazine to see Keri’s article “A
Reverent Maverick,” a profile of Anne Graham
Lotz.
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