Life isn't fair

Living in Ethiopia has taught me many life lessons. For example, you don't need to go tanning, if your water is so rusty that when you get out your skin is the color of Californian perfection. Showering in brown water can have it's upside!

I have been getting up each morning to get some exercise and after that, I come back to my room and do some stretching while listening to great tunes. Yesterday found me listening to my "Final Countdown" playlist which, as the name suggests, does include "Final Countdown" by Europe. The song "Be My Escape" by Reliant K came on and I heard them scream out the phrase, "The beauty of grace is that it makes life not fair."

This line caused me to ponder my experiences in many Christian settings. I began to realize that often, as a Christian I am much more hesitant to dole out grace when I see someone making mistakes or poor choices that God was when he forgave me of my sin.  Why is that? I think it may have something to do with the fact that grace makes life not fair. 

Ever since I accepted that Christ paid the price for my sin and that it was his mercy that saves me and not my own goodness, I have tried to do good things. Not because it I had to, but because I wanted to. So here I am, living as good as I can and trying to avoid temptation and such. Then I see Joe Sinner over there getting drunk and sexing up a pretty girl who he doesn't even know and I think, "Wow, this guy is bad!" 

Now lets be honest here, Joe Sinner, is no more of a bad person than we are, he just is more visible at this moment. Is it possible that we withhold grace because we work so hard to be "Good" people that if they were let off the hook, we would be on a level playing field? How is that fair!? Spoiler alert, it isn't. That is the beauty of Grace! God doesn't give a yellow belly marmots whisker how good or bad we are. He loves us. He wants to give us grace, mercy, and a second chance. But as people that are trying to "Live Right" we seem to have a really hard time doing the same.

Wouldn't it be grand if the Church (Again, all those that claim the name of Christ fit in this category) stopped viewing people according to their sin debt and started viewing them as an opportunity to give grace? We should thrive on giving grace. That should be our home run swing people! How have we missed that!? How did I miss that!? When someone walks into the company of a Christian, that should be the most forgiving and welcoming environment they can experience. 

Grace is disarming. It shocked the woman at the well, it shocked Zacchaeus, it shocked the Adulterous Woman in John 8, and it also shocked me.  Grace is not fair. That is why it is so offensive to those who believe they deserve something. People that have a sense of entitlement in the Church HATE grace! Why? It makes life not fair. They feel like they have earned it. They are wrong. The only way God gives grace is to those who don't deserve it. Thats all of us. 

Here is my proposition. Get your Grace Muscles back in shape by giving some out to the next person who does you dirty. You may be shocked to find that it much easier with practice.