….And you will be
“children of the Highest.”
I’ve read these words countless times, but never has it registered before what Jesus is saying we should do here to be
children of the Highest.
We need to
love when love is undeserving.
Do good to those who are not doing good to us.
Give what is not expected,
more than is expected,
not hoping to receive anything back.
Give extravagantly
like our Father in Heaven gives.
Give this unexpected, undeserved response,
this grace,
freely, lavishly, as a gift-
just as we have received it from our Father.
Wendy Alsup says in her book on Ephesians that grace is God’s calling card. She says that,
“Grace is an unreasonably lavish response to those undeserving of it, based on our own understanding of God’s great undeserved favor toward us.”
This theme runs through the New Testament.
“And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you. Be ye therefore followers of God, as dear children. And walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given himself for us …” ~ Ephesians 4:32-5:1
So…
when my teenage son forgets his Biology textbook on our three-week trip- and it’s the only school subject I asked him to bring along-
let me leave this calling card- grace.
When my rambunctious nephew wakes the ten-month-old prematurely from her nap,
let me show grace.
When my husband misunderstands my wishes and shares a secret, which I thought I had made clear I want to be kept secret,
let me respond with grace.
And when my just-turned-thirteen-year old son is having a moody day and is having a hard time with life,
let me not repay in kind, but may I shower him with grace and understanding.
And Jesus says,
“[my] reward will be great,”
not only my future reward in heaven, but my reward here, right now:
in my home, in my marriage, in my relationships with my children, in my church.
As I pour grace into those around me, that grace will transform the relationships around me.
And in those times when I fail to respond with grace, as I have often failed
and will fail again,
may I remember that my Heavenly Father responds to my failures with abundant grace and mercy.
And my understanding of that grace will bring peace
in my relationship with Him.
This post may be shared at one or more of these linkups.
Leave a Reply