grace

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Why Grace Beats Fair Any Day

Recently I played in a golf tournament fundraiser for an organization. When the word “tournament” is involved, it always stirs something inside me to want to put my best effort into it.

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We all know that when there is competition there are winners and losers. And no amount of trying to hide that fact escapes those who are on either side.

When my son was young and playing hockey, they wouldn’t post the score on the score board after one team had a certain lead. But you could ask every boy on either team what the score was and they would be able to tell you!

In this golf tournament, I was all about our task to produce a competitive score.

The course was in great shape, the weather held up nicely throughout the round … the environment was perfect for a great round.

The only thing that let our team down was our own skill level. When the round was over and we turned in our score card, we had failed to make enough close approach shots, didn’t run up as many chips as we needed to, and didn’t make any long crucial putts.

It didn’t matter too much because, as good Canadians, we had fun playing and could purchase draw tickets for prizes at the end.

… That’s right, prizes were awarded based on your ticket being drawn and not so much on how well your team did against the other teams. I didn’t mind that but I sure would have liked to know how we did compared to the others in the tourney.

After a great meal, the score was forgotten and it was on to the prizes that were given out. I had bought one draw ticket when I registered and then, after the round, I bought two more. So I figured I had a chance at maybe getting something.

There were about five or six people handing out prizes, randomly arriving at the tables we were sitting at with prizes for those who had their tickets drawn.

About every few minutes one of these prize ushers would show up at our table with a prize. After five or ten minutes I realized something: every one of the guys at my table had a prize except me. There were seven of us.

I’m not sure if the other guys at my table caught it but they all walked away with some loot.

I started to think, “Hey, how come I got left out?” and I began to think it was all a little unfair.

Then I remembered that I had been invited to this tourney and it hadn’t cost me anything to play. I don’t think I would have been able to afford to play so it was a pretty awesome privilege just to be there.

As it turned out I may have been the most fortunate golfer at my table!

Here’s the thing: Sometimes we can think that life is unfair to us when compared to others. But we need to remember that God doesn’t treat us fairly, He treats us graciously. That’s better than fair. We don’t deserve anything from God but He is so gracious that He offers us something better than good things in this life – He invites us into His family, through His Son, Jesus Christ.

That’s Life!

Paul

Question: What keeps you from enjoying God’s grace? Leave your comment below.

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What’s Truly Amazing About Grace 

This is an edited re-post of a blog I published on May 26, 2012. Enjoy.

Let me give you a little insight into my world. Grace is big in a pastor’s life. Most people think pastors are official grace givers at any event.

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At dinner, about 98 percent of the time (a made up stat), people will look to the pastor to say grace.

At wedding receptions, banquets, barbecues, family gatherings, dinner out with friends, anywhere food is being served, probably the pastor will be asked to say grace.

Sometimes I can see the whole thing unfold.

Just before the meal the host will scan the room.  At this point, I can read their mind: they’re thinking, “Whom can I get to say grace?”

Then they spot me, their eyes get big, the expression on their face changes from concern to relief, a smile appears, and then the head nod that says, “ah yes, the pastor. Why didn’t I think of him before?” Then they make a b-line to me.

Actually, I count it an honour to say grace in public.  A few years ago my old high school celebrated its 50th anniversary (not that I was in high school 50 years ago).

I received a phone call asking if I was planning on attending, and if so, would I say grace at the gala dinner banquet.

Based on their knowledge of me in high school, they would never have asked me, but now that I’m a pastor, saying the grace was a perfect job for me.

There are some people who think the pastor has a corner on grace and not just saying it.  I’ve had many people ask me to put in a good word for them with the “Big Guy”.

There have been times where people have made a comment like, “well, you know, he has God on his side.” I could go on, but you get the idea: people think pastors are grace sayers and grace receivers.

One day after I’d had a heart attack a few years back a neighbour said to me, “You having a heart attack? You have to wonder about that.”

He said it as if he didn’t think bad things happened to pastors, or he was questioning what I did to get God mad at me, like maybe I didn’t have God’s grace on my life.

That bothered me because usually people see pastors as being on the good side of grace. I wanted to say, “Wait a minute!  The fact that I’m still here, standing and breathing is a sign I’m on the good side of grace.”

Grace is an amazing thing. It can be spoken as a thanks to God, it can be used as a name (I have a niece named Grace).  It can be given, as undeserved favour, and it can be withheld as punishment. Grace is pretty versatile.

Here’s the thing: The real amazing thing about grace is that we are ALL on the good side of it.  God sent Jesus, His only son, to us as an instrument of grace.  What we need to do is make sure we have received God’s grace by believing in Jesus and claiming him as Lord … and then, live out our days serving Him, knowing that nothing we have done, said, thought or contributed has any merit towards us being recipients of God’s grace. It is God’s unmerited favour on us.  That is truly amazing!

That’s Life!

Paul

Question: What ways do you see the grace of God showing up in your life?  Leave a comment below.