Wednesday, August 10, 2016

10 August 2016 - scalable grace


Moreover, God is able to make every grace abundant for you,
so that in all things, always having all you need,
you may have an abundance for every good work.

This is true no matter to which good work we are called today. The grace scales to any situation. Whether we need to conquer ourselves and give a smile when we don't feel like it or whether we need to conquer ourselves to offer our lives like Saint Lawrence, God makes the grace not only available but abundant. It is not available in all things but abundant in some. It is, as we read, abundant for all things and for every good work.

“Amen, amen, I say to you,
unless a grain of wheat falls to the ground and dies,
it remains just a grain of wheat;
but if it dies, it produces much fruit.

Losing our lives for the kingdom doesn't necessarily come with a lot of drama or a good story. It is often the small things done for love that truly transform us and the world. So we don't need to fear that we aren't doing enough if we aren't martyrs, necessarily. Then again, if God calls us to give the witness of martyrdom he makes the grace abundant for us to do so. Even then we need not fear.

We can make these offerings without sadness or compulsion because this is what God wants from us. He loves cheerful givers. It is a good thing we don't have to do this on our own because it seems pretty impossible without his help. We are called to give ourselves away this morning. But at the same time we are called to remember that only in God, only connected to his grace, can we do so.

I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing (see John 15:5).

The man who is gracious and lends to those in need is blessed even before his horn is exalted in glory. The blessing is what empowers the gift. Trusting in that blessing makes him fearless.

An evil report he shall not fear;
his heart is firm, trusting in the LORD.
His heart is steadfast; he shall not fear
till he looks down upon his foes.



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