Grace and Truth. Holding Both Together
Do you ever find yourself dealing with people or situations that involve what Rick Warren refers to as “EGR People,” which means Extra Grace Required?
We can probably all name a person or two. And if we can’t…there’s always the possibility that WE are the EGR person! 😊
Causes us to think about words from Jesus on the mountainside near the Sea of Galilee:
“Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy” Matthew 5:7
The truth is that we all need grace in our lives. Just in the last week, we can think about words that came out of our mouths, actions that we took, or thoughts that we aren’t proud of.
Yet isn’t it amazing how easily it is to see where someone else has fallen short? We can quickly point out how someone wronged us, disappointed us, or failed to meet our expectations while overlooking the areas where we need grace ourselves. Jesus addressed that directly:
“Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? Matthew 7:3
We have to admit, there are some relationships where it feels like we are constantly pouring out grace. We forgive. We give another chance. We try to assume the best. We take the high road. And while none of us are perfect, sometimes the imbalance in a relationship becomes pretty clear.
Do you guys ever feel that way? What do we do when showing grace starts to feel like allowing the same behavior to continue? How do we show love and mercy without pretending that everything is ok?
Paul gives us an interesting picture of love:
“Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.” 1 Corinthians 13: 6-7
We think the word truth is important. Trust is built on truthfulness. So maybe we should ask ourselves…are we being truthful with others, and are we being truthful with ourselves?
Sometimes extending grace means forgiveness and moving forward. But at other times grace can also mean having an honest conversation, establishing a boundary, or acknowledging that trust needs to be rebuilt.
Forgiveness doesn’t automatically mean trust. Forgiveness can be given; trust has to be built.
Jesus calls us to be merciful, but he never asks us to call something healthy when it isn’t. We can love someone, pray for them, forgive them, and still recognize that something in the relationship needs to change.
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