It’s not easy being human and working with humans. It can be worse working with Christian humans. Honestly, sometimes they just get on my nerves, humans do. Christian humans. Sometimes they say dumb things, off beat things, theologically stupid things that really could use some clearing up of the issues. Sometimes, I think I’m better than some other people. Sometimes, I just figure what I have to say and how I would do things is simply just better than someone else would say or how they would do it.

What if it is?

What if what you do and how you do it in the church really is better than someone else? What if that person really is annoying and hard to get along with and makes everyone crazy, but say they love Jesus (and they probably do) and they raise their hands and worship while you roll your eyes because you think they can’t possibly be worshipping with the attitude they carry around like a dead hippo on their hip?  (was that sentence too long?)

What happens when you are with that person you really don’t care about and they love Jesus and you love Jesus and there is a dying world out there who needs Jesus and all you  (read I) can think about is how they really should change?

What happens when we don’t have grace?

The church is not pretty. She is really rather quite embarassing. There are so many of us in the church that are dirty, rotten, addicted, angry, bitter, pissed, lonely, tainted, sarcastic, proud, rude, and down right sinful, and those are the saved ones.

If we who call ourselves Christ followers do not have the heart to show grace while we are elbow to elbow in the Darkness, what then will we have? 

Even if you’re right, even if that person is exrememly hard to get along with and bug the ever-lovin’ snot out of you, who are you to not show grace? Who am I? Who are we to not be kind, compassionate, and slow to become angry?

Granted, it might be a “grin and bear it” kind of grace, but we are in this togther and grace is required in order for this mess of a beautiful thing called “church” to actaully do what she is designed to do: reveal the mystery we call the Grace of Christ.

The ability to have grace for one another can only come from a supernatural place of Grace itself: through the power of the Holy Spirit. We are so easily irritated and puffed up with pride that we cannot try to show the grace of Jesus without the Grace of Jesus poured out on us.

To show grace is to know Grace.

Fellow follower of Jesus, let us have grace with one another. This dark black world cannot see the Light if we are hiding it in our disdain. We are very good at being the Light of the world, what about being the Light to each other.

Grace to you all.