I know a man who often says that he must ‘do something’ and that his Christian life is based on that rule. He says that he feels right about himself if he is involved in meeting needs and without anything to do, he does not.
Today’s reading is about growing in grace. Grace is not about what I do but about what Christ has done and is doing. The author says that to walk in grace means opposing all growth in self-dependence or self-effort. It means to oppose every legality or rules to put our growing in the hands of our Savior, Jesus Christ, just as we put our eternal destiny in his hands.
And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? (Matthew 6:28–30)I also know a woman who says that even though she knows salvation is not based on her in any way, she never feels ‘good enough’ to be a Christian. As Jesus says, she is ‘anxious about her clothing’ or to put it in salvation terms, she worries about what covers her or adorns her and her growth.
In this woman’s mind, the conflict is between flesh and Spirit, even though she knows that both cannot be true. If God covers or clothes her, why does she need to add more? If God saves us by grace, why the compulsion to add to that works?
I’m trying to relate. What comes to mind is this: if God does it all, He gets all the credit, all the glory. Being saved by grace is a humble admission that I cannot save myself. This is all about the future after death.
But what about requiring grace to live the Christian life? The Bible says I cannot do anything of eternal value in my life apart from grace. That is humbling too. It goes against the world’s value system. Only little babies and severely handicapped people are unable to do things. This truth hits my pride.
Jesus says I’m like a lily? It grows by itself. A weed is also the same. This ‘walking by faith’ rather than by sight is one thing, but abiding in Christ because ‘apart from Him I can do nothing’ does not seem like good news, even though it explains why a person feels as if they ‘must do something’ or is ‘never good enough.’
To add to this hit to pride, God also says:
For consider your calling, brothers: not many of you were wise according to worldly standards, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth. But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are, so that no human being might boast in the presence of God. And because of him you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, righteousness and sanctification and redemption, so that, as it is written, “Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord.” (1 Corinthians 1:26–31)God is not interested in my IQ, power, or any other credentials. No matter how high or strong I am in any category, compared to Him I am nothing. And I boast in myself? Silly me. All that is wise or good or of any value is because of Christ Jesus, and has nothing to do with how good I think I am. It is like swimming to Hawaii; some of us drown in no time and others cover a few miles, but no one can do it. We also all fall short of the glory of God.
PRAY: Jesus, those who whine about inability might hear, “Suck it up, princess” or something like that. I hear You say, “My strength is perfected in weakness” and “I’ve got you covered” — and that is far better than self-pity or any pride that focuses on me be ‘good enough’ or any compulsion that tells me I must work hard to be worthy. My boast must be in You. Also, I’m not to evaluate those who don’t see these things the way I do. You also say, “Do not quarrel over opinions” because “each of us will give an account of himself to God.” (Romans 14:1-12)
