The Beauty of Present Grace
"Why can't I just get this right? Why can't I stop doing that? Why is this so hard and difficult? Why can't I just really believe this truth? Lord, what is wrong with me?"
We all know these thoughts. We all live them pretty regularly, if we are being honest. These thoughts can drown us and prevent us from walking in the freedom in which Christ's life, death, and resurrection has given us.
Why is it so easy to accept and trust God's "past grace" and "future grace", yet so difficult to accept and trust His "present grace"?
Too many times we are expecting perfection from ourselves; whether that is solely a pressure we have put on ourselves or one that we feel like God or others have put on us.
It is almost as if we, as believers in Christ alone, have forgotten what we truly believe: "For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast" (Ephesians 2:8-9).
Reality is, God did not need us to be perfect before the death of His Son, Jesus Christ, and He still does not need us to be perfect. His grace has always been and will always be sufficient.
Recently, I had the opportunity to go to a Biblical Counseling conference with the group through which I am certified, and one of the things that really stuck out to me is this concept of "telos". Telos is the ancient Greek term for an end, fulfilment, completion, goal or aim; Oftentimes, we make our end goal/aim to "stop acting this way, believing this lie, struggling with this sin, etc.," but when that is our focus, we tend to do that "thing" even more, leading us to greater frustration, guilt, and shame. However, when our telos is to glorify God, then the whole approach changes. Instead of focusing on ourselves and our lack, we learn to bring what we have (the lack) before the Father, taking a step into the beauty of present grace.
What would it look like for us to say in the midst of our anxious thought, "Father, I am feeling anxious. Please help me glorify you in this moment. You are with me in this, and Your grace is sufficient for me in this moment. Please help me trust You with this concern. Amen.," rather than our typical response, "Gosh, why I am so anxious? I know God is in control and has everything figured out but I can't seem to believe that. When am I going to stop doing this and struggling to believe Him?"
In both of these responses, it is evident to see what telos is driving the thought/statement. The first is focusing on glorifying the Father and bringing our struggle to Him; whereas, the second is relying on ourselves to fix the behavior/sin struggle. Also, the first leads us into a place of peace, rest, and hope; whereas, the second leads us to frustration, shame, and despair.
Loved ones, God's grace is perfectly sufficient for your past, present, and future. Our God is the same yesterday, today, and forever (Hebrews 13:8). If He was gracious enough to provide for you in your life apart from Christ, will He not even more so provide for you as His sons and daughters in Christ? (Romans 5). We can trust Him; more simply put, He is worthy of our trust. Even if you struggle to believe His goodness because of life's current/past circumstances, the truth still remains that He is good, and that He loves you. God cannot change: He has never changed and He never will change. His Truth is truth whether or not we choose to accept and believe it. His expectations have remained the same since before the foundation of the world and the way to Him, as well; I am just grateful He so graciously sent Christ to perfectly fulfill the law and to be the Way to Him, so that we no longer have to strive for perfection. The answer has always been faith [to trust and obey God], and Christ is the tangible evidence of God's faithfulness and grace. Praise be to God!
Friends and family, I have no idea where you find yourselves today. I have no clue what reality you are facing, what struggle is unceasing, or what emotion seems to keep ensnaring you, but I do know that God is with you. He sees you, He knows you, and He loves you through and through. In Christ alone, we can find hope and peace amongst the trials of this life. We can rest in God's truth that His grace is sufficient. There is nothing you can do to earn this grace - the definition of grace is literally "the free and unmerited favor/gift of God."
I pray that today your telos would not be fixing yourself and relying on your own strength, but instead, that it would be to cling to God's Word and glorify Him in all things. Humble yourselves before the Father through confession and choose to repent by trusting His sufficient, present grace in your life. Bring your lack and struggles to Him, allowing Him to help you, so that you may see this beautiful gift of present grace. Receive it and believe it; this Hope truly changes everything.
Soli Deo gloria. 🤟🏼