On Grace Speech

 Colossians 4:6 

Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you many know how to answer everyone. 

On Wednesday, our young adult small group spent a lot of time working through the meaning of this verse and discussing its implications for our lives. The conclusions we drew were insightful and have been stirring in my spirit ever since. 

My understanding of the word "grace" is receiving something you don't deserve. God the Father showed us the fullest extent of his grace when he turned his back on his son, Jesus Christ, who bore ALL the sins of the world on his shoulders as the life dripped from his beaten body on that rugged cross. Human beings, as his creation, were given the choice to sin or follow our Creator. We chose separation from God rather than communion with him, but in all his mercy, God offered an alternative. Wereceived the gift we never could have earned--total forgiveness and full and eternal life. 

Having my conversation always be filled with grace starts there--at the cross. I must be constantly connected with that sacrifice, the redemption granted me from that place where my Savior died. If my mind is meditating on the cross, on his grace, my heart will be overflowing with the same. 

Every word I exchange with another should flow from the place of grace--particularly if that person "deserves" nothing other than frustration, anger, disrespect. In those moments when I have been wronged, humiliated, frustrated, exasperated, annoyed, or hurt, I am to season my words with salt--making them delicious to the recipient. The sentences flowing from my lips should not be the same as the world's. Those who don't follow Jesus believe in retaliation, anger, and revenge. But Jesus showed us a different way. The way of Grace. 

To be seasoned with salt means our words go from being normal, typical, similar to the rest of the population's, to be tasty, memorable, enjoyable, blessed. Salt keeps food preserved, fresh. Our words shouldn't be filled with bitterness, rage, or malice, but with the life-giving, sustaining, savory salt of grace. 

After some prompting...

...Mel has convinced me to put all my devotional thoughts in here, so we can have one spot to point people to if they want to read up on all things where Kevin's brain and Jesus cross. Have mercy on our souls. =)

That said, today Jesus taught me about faith, crisis, and priorities. (I'm also starting to make a conscious effort to say Jesus instead of God...makes it a bit more pointed...Jesus is a person, and God is too easy to translate into some abstract idea.)

This morning, I read Genesis 22. Abraham being asked by God to sacrifice his only son.

I can't imagine how it must have felt hearing God ask you for the one thing that you value above any other.
Knowing that you have to obey...when it costs you everything in this world that's important to you.
How do you think Abraham felt when Isaac looked at him and asked "where is the lamb for the burnt offering?"

Abraham's soul was probably torn to shreds when he had to hear his son say those words. But because of that sacrifice, God promised to bless all nations through Abraham's descendants. Jesus came through Abraham's faith. God had a plan.

For those of you that watch Glee, the show has some awesome music. If you like solid vocal performances, it's got the best vocal music on TV. Tonight, they had an episode where one of the characters (can't remember the guy's name) was convinced that God was answering his prayers that he was offering to a grilled cheese with a picture of Jesus burned into it. (affectionately dubbed 'grilled cheesus') While this is going on, another character, who was an avowed atheist, was going through the struggle of a father who was in a coma.

As comical as the first situation is, it's almost as sad as the second. These two characters needed to get together. The first needs a dose of reality, while the second desperately needs Faith in a God that matters.

The bright spot in this episode wasn't the music or the amazing name of 'grilled cheesus' that I'm going to use and abuse for at least a week...it was the reaction of many of the students on the show that had Faith in God. They rallied around their friend who didn't believe in a Loving God...and they showed him God's love by caring for him and his dad.

So because I'd like to pretend that this is a nice polished blog, I'm going to try (hopefully not in vain) to tie these two ideas together in my head. I wish I were more like those students that effectively shared God. Why can't I offer Jesus to my friends? or even acquaintances?

I think the answer is that I'm afraid of what it will cost me. I'm taking classes to become a pastor, and I've done some really crazy (or maybe even stupid) things because I believe Jesus called me to. I've done a lot for Him, and left a lot behind. But there's always something more Jesus wants to call me to do...and I'm constantly finding myself reluctant.

I want Abraham's Faith. I want his dedication. And I can't get them myself.
God, make me fanatical enough to sacrifice ANYTHING on the altar.
Don't let me hold back.