"Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you'll recover your life. I'll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me--watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won't lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you'll learn to live freely and lightly."
Matthew 11:28-30 the Message
That one line reminded me about the nature of God. What I sometimes forget about His nature. God's nature is one of gracious gift giving. That's truly what grace is. Grace is the undeserved, unmerited, unearned favor of God. Grace is God's exercise of love, kindness, and mercy towards us. Isaiah describes it this way:
"For the Lord longs to be gracious to you, therefore He will rise up to show you compassion for the Lord is a God of justice. Blessed are all who wait for him." Isaiah 30:18
So, how do I learn to recognize the unforced rhythms of grace in my life? How do I learn to recognize these gifts from God? I think that the first step is to actually build a relationship with God-- to truly learn His nature, how he works in my life.
"God doesn't want a religious experience for me; He wants a personal relationship with me."
Rachel Wojo
"My life is a story about who God is and what He does in a human heart."
What is interesting about true relationships is that they can't be forced. Both parties must desire the relationship in order for it to happen. Isaiah 30 talks about God's longing for relationship with you. And in Matthew 11, God invites you to spend time with Him, to work with Him, to watch Him and learn. Both scriptures also describe a gentleness in the way that God approaches relationship with you. A lesson that we all could learn from when seeking to introduce others to God. God isn't looking to push Himself on you. He is not starting the conversation with you in anger at your sin, pointing out all your failures. It's quite the opposite. He's longing to show you grace and compassion. He wants you to live freely and lightly. Read what God says in the Bible. Talk with him. Ask questions. Wait for answers.
Sidebar: Do you think, that just maybe, this could be an instruction manual on how we, as Christ-followers, should approach those who do not yet have a relationship with God? I wonder how much more effective we would be if we approached with love and grace instead of reproach. If we started out showing others unforced grace, instead of forceful judgement. Hmmmm. Ok, now back to our regularly scheduled program.
"He sees us here, and is waiting for this one mess of a moment to be the one in which we see Him."
"Every Bitter Thing is Sweet" by Sarah Hagerty
"God is always doing 10,000 things in your life and you may be aware of three of them." John Piper
"All I have seen teaches me to trust the creator for all I have not seen." Ralph Waldo Emerson
The second step in the process of learning the unforced rhythms of grace is to adjust our vision. To begin to really look for the gifts of grace that God gives us everyday. This involves discipline on our part. Our brains seem to be hard-wired to remember and recognize more of the bad than the good. I don't know why this is so. I believe there is a study out there that states that it takes two complements to balance out a negative comment. You need to get ahold of your thoughts. You need to force yourself to think about the good things that happen. The surprising thing is that you often find that the good far outweighs the bad, you just don't seem to recognize this fact unless you put forth the effort to do so.
It involves faith. And here is where your relationship with God helps you. If you have a relationship with God, then you know that He wants good for you. You can trust that He loves you, even if it feels like He doesn't. A true relationship doesn't rely on feelings. A true relationship is built on the past actions of the other person. Having proof that in the past, everything God has done for you has been for your good. You have faith in the belief that God is for you.
The third step towards learning about the unforced rhythms of grace is interesting. You will find that this last step will one day become your first step, as your relationship with God grows. This last step involves gratitude. Being grateful for all that God has done, is doing, and will do. There is something powerful in gratitude. Gratitude frees you. Gratitude lightens you. When you begin to recognize and acknowledge God's grace in your life, the heavy burdens of worry, regret, guilt, shame, tiredness, bitterness, resentment, fear, and sorrow begin to lift off of you. You will indeed, recover your life.
"I do not at all understand they mystery of grace--only that it meets us where we are but does not leave us where it found us." Lamott
So, my challenge to myself and to you is to learn the unforced rhythms of grace that are at work in your life. Rest in them. Savor them. Rejoice in them.
"The grace God offers is not only for saving you from this world, but also for carrying you through it."
Rachel Wojo
If you do not know this God of grace I am talking about, why don't you introduce yourself? It's as simple as just talking to him and saying hello. Reaching out to start a conversation with him. I promise you, He's already met you more than halfway. All you have to simply do is hold out your hand. He will meet you where you are with love, compassion and grace.
I'll leave you with this verse and a few photo's of the sun shining bright through the trees and onto the flowers.
"The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make his face shine upon you and be gracious to you; the Lord turn his far toward you and give you peace." Numbers 6: 24-26
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