Simply Grace

Perhaps the opposite of simplicity is work, exhaustion, over-work? When we drill down to the simplicity of a single focus, our Lord, then the other things do indeed become labor. And what takes us away from simplicity but expectations, working, and flutterings that seem to be worth lots but are in fact worthless.

Grace for ourselves

‘For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast,’ says Ephesians 2:8-9. God grants us such grace, immeasurable grace, because work will never do. And yet I find it so hard to give myself grace. Grace for not having cleaned well enough, developed materials for the blog at the right pace, opened my home enough in hospitality, etc. And then there is the time I let down my husband, my friend, my parents, everyone else. In the end, this is all ‘doing’ and not the focus on Christ. Maybe things haven’t happened as I thought or expected. Is that wrong? Does that mean that I have sinned? I find that it is the grace for ourselves that is lacking, and perhaps the biggest stopping point for reaching simplicity.

Grace for changing priorities

The disappointment that wells up within is the greatest deterrent to doing for Christ. Yet, I find that the underlying reason that I need to give myself is grace is not because I have sinned by doing or not doing, but because I have instead chosen to do something else, something that is what God intended. If I teleconference with my sister in her time of need but dinner ends up an hour later than usual, is that a sin? It is likely a disappointment, but not sin. By giving ourselves grace and acknowledging that the priority was right, which was serving him and doing what he wants for us to do, we have no reason to carry the burden of this disappointment. This grace will free us to acknowledge the simplicity, the choice to follow him ‘on the road’ and let the weights fall away, the weights we were never intended to carry.