God’s family is to work out grace that produces peace. That peace is harmony and relationship, and yet too often we experience failure to meet expectations and we hide in isolation. I don’t let others close because if they see me warts and all, they’ll reject me. So we pass on Sunday morning and ask “How are you?” And we are “Fine, oh just fine, everything’s good, keeping busy, doing alright, yeah we’re just fine—fine as fine could be.” But I’m not. I hurt, I’m lonely, I’m not being what I know that I should, and could. I fall short, I don’t measure up, but I’m terrified that if you knew, you’d pull back, turn away, talk to someone else…about me. So, “I’m fine, yeah just fine, keeping busy…doing stuff…doing alright...just…fine.
Grace steps in there, and just gives a hug, an embrace. In the midst of all my protests that I’m really fine, doing okay—its an embrace that says, I love you anyway, I accept you, even knowing what you’re afraid to tell. And if you told me, I won’t turn away, talk to someone else, about you... But we’ll stand here, arm in arm, we’ll face that thing down together. We have to, cause we’re family, and you can’t just break up family, cause it leaves everybody missing something…
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I relate to those superficial, meaningless greetings that are shared so freely with one another. It’s such a nice “safe” way to be polite, but not get too involved! And yes, it happens way too much within the body of believers. Having moved many, many times, and consequently been a part of many different local bodies around the country, I can say with confidence that it is not a localized Pacific NW problem, but rather a universal problem.
The first word that comes to mind for me is TRUST. Being trustworthy, being able to trust, and knowing who to trust. Experience and observation has made me realize that this is an issue from pastoral on through the ranks, and through the body as a whole. Again, God is working with an imperfect people.
The element that I see as missing is individual and corporate PRAYER. We need prayer for God’s grace to overcome the trust issue. Am I trustworthy…who can I trust? I remember a number of years ago in another place, another life time on a Sunday morning, a dear friend of mine asked me how I was doing. I gave my stock “just great” answer and she looked at me and said…”Lois, I can see that you’re not ‘just great’, so how are you really doing?” What a blessed relief it was to share with my trusted friend.
I know God’s desire for us is to demonstrate His grace to one another. What a blessing to come along side of one another in love and His grace, to comfort, help and bring healing into each of our lives, and into our body. Let us pray together for that end.
there are two essentials to going deeper with God together: relationships of TRUST in an evironment of GRACE. and yeah, one great way to begin building trust and extending grace is to pray together. when we pour out our heart to God in another's hearing, and they do to, it brings us closer in relationship as we are both waking closer to our God.
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