Live In The Unforced Rhythms Of Grace
Matthew 11: 28-30 (MSG)
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.
I am reminded today of the Dynamic Cycle of Grace.*
I wonder how you define grace? It is something we have all received and yet at times we can’t verbalise what grace means. For each of us, through our lived experience, we experience, touch, feel and taste this grace, and that begins to shape our definition. Our image of God, the grace-giver, is influenced as we experience his grace.
Is your image of God shaped by all that life has thrown at you? You need to strive to achieve and momentarily that makes you feel good but soon you find yourself on the treadmill of 'doing'. This yoke becomes burdensome as the need to strive to find acceptance from God or from others grows. Before long, doing and activism replaces being held, being ‘at rest’, experiencing grace.
Look with me at the Dynamic Cycle of Grace* and see if we can find God’s grace in our lives.
The cycle has four stages: acceptance, sustenance, status and achievement. Jesus experienced total acceptance from his Father during his life on earth. He knew he was loved unconditionally by his Father. 'This is my beloved…' (Matt 3:17). This in turn nourished and sustained him and gave him a sense of wellbeing. Experiencing this, he knew who he was (status) and what he was sent to do (achievement).
Frequently we find ourselves living a vicious unsustainable cycle starting with achievement to make us feel accepted, which temporarily sustains, gives us status and a sense of achievement and so on round. But this drive becomes the perpetual taskmaster. We feel we must achieve first before grace comes.
Draw closer to him and hear him say. You are my beloved, know my unconditional love and acceptance. My grace flows from this love and is totally bespoke and fits you perfectly and is enough for you today and always.
Prayer - Father I come to you weary and burdened. I want to know, to feel your love. Hold me close and quiet my striving with your love grace and mercy.