There, but for The Grace of God

     “In all things I have shown you that by working hard in this way we must help the weak and remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he himself said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’”  Acts 20:35 (ESV)

by Alexandra Copeland

So few of us recognize how blessed we are or the extent to which life for us could take on a very different tone. Whether it’s on the way to work every day, or going about our daily tasks, it is inevitable that we’ll run into those that are homeless or struggling with poverty and lack. The number of us who turn a blind eye is staggering. They ask us for money or help, and let’s face it, many of us have looked at them with disgust and indignation. We think and feel as though they ought to be able to pull themselves up by their own boot straps. The truth is that individuals that have fallen through the cracks hold up a mirror for us. Their reflection reveals that if it were not for the grace of God, we would be in their exact shoes. This is something that we must never allow ourselves to forget.

There are some individuals that didn’t have the benefit of parents who trust and believe God’s Word. Others might have been programmed from early in childhood to believe that they have no value, and that they won’t get ahead in life no matter what they do. Because of unknown factors, some deeply rooted in a person’s psyche, advancement in life holds a far greater complexity than it may hold for you or me; this doesn’t give us any claim to brag or boast, it should however make us incredibly grateful for all that God has done in our lives. God hasn’t given us any more grace than is available to any other person that might be struggling through life. Hosea 4:6 tells us that people can be destroyed by ignorance. They can be greatly disadvantaged by not knowing the Word as well as many of us have been privileged to know it, and this is why we must make every attempt to share God’s Word and love where we can. Through the Apostle Paul, Heavenly Father commanded us in Acts 20:35 (ESV), “In all things I have shown you that by working hard in this way we must help the weak and remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he himself said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’” 

There are all kinds of generational and societal ills that have damaged many of us in various ways. Our blessed Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ has redeemed us from these curses, but a person cannot rise above that which they either do not know or haven’t been taught. People today are starving for God’s love. They believe that the holes in their hearts can be filled up with other things, and they believe that those other things will satisfy and make them whole, but that simply isn’t true. Only God’s Word and love can fill up our empty spaces. For most of us it takes a lifetime to truly believe and stand on this truth. Not because God takes a long time, but because we procrastinate. Many of us will not take the bull by the horn and become relentless about saturating our minds and hearts with His Word. He doesn’t punish us for it. He is so incredibly patient with us as we wade our way through, and He will lovingly help us along, all the while rooting for us to finally come to a place where we place our love for Him above all else.

As it pertains to excelling in the things of the spiritual, some of us will not lend the same concessions to others that we allow for ourselves.  You and I could know so much more than what we know today. It’s no one’s fault but our own that we aren’t further along in the knowledge and wisdom of God’s Word than we are. In most cases we don’t beat ourselves up about it. We’re easy on ourselves, and we’re content to move at whatever pace suits our lifestyle. When it comes to others though, some of us do not extend this same courtesy.

Ephesians 4:32 (ESV) admonishes us, “Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.” The genuine kindness that we demonstrate to others is cultivated from a heart that deeply loves Christ. Our desire to serve, help, and share should be motivated from this love. Any and every thing that we do out of the love of Christ will have a tremendous impact in the earth, one that is far reaching and goes far beyond what we can see. Are these perilous times? Yes! Must we exhibit caution and care for our safety? Absolutely! But there are many ways in which the spirit will lead and guide us to be of service to others that are perfectly safe and harmless, but we absolutely must have a heart that is hungry to serve and do good.

Jesus Christ said in Matthew 6:21(KJV), “For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.” Often, opportunities to expand ourselves in love come when our hearts are dialed into that channel. If we look unkindly upon those that some consider the least in society, what does this say about our hearts? Failing to see people through a lens of compassion impedes us in ways we cannot begin to know. We become a repellent for blessings rather than an attractor of them.  We close ourselves off from making a difference and we slow the flow of God’s love through us and into others who so desperately need it.

Those of us who are blessed with cozy homes, good jobs, and people who love us—we really don’t realize how blessed we are, and we don’t demonstrate nearly the level of gratitude that we should for all that God has done. It wouldn’t take but just one unraveling thread to cause the fabric of our lives to completely fall apart, but God’s grace is the glue. He holds everything together for us, and He expects that we will in turn, at least to some degree, try to do it for those that need it most. ■

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Scripture quotations are from the Holy Bible, English Standard Version, copyright © 2001, 2007 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations marked (NLT) are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois 60189. All rights reserved.

Scripture taken from the New King James Version. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

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