Steward of Grace

Since the beginning of the year I have been doing a series on the word “blessed.”  I lost a bit of momentum for a while due to travel and a busy schedule, and then a global pandemic hit out of nowhere.  I have struggled with anxiety, fear, lack of motivation, and most notably, an inability to focus.  Writing takes immense effort right now, but I do have something that I would like to share.

In the weeks leading up to the crisis, our church has been studying the book of Ephesians.  In Ephesians 3:1-2 it says, “For this reason I, Paul, the prisoner of Christ Jesus for the sake of you Gentiles – if indeed you have heard of the stewardship of God’s grace which was given to me for you...” (emphasis mine).  That phrase caught my eye and has been rattling around in my head ever since.  I wasn’t quite sure what to do with it…until now.  It is quite strange and a bit unsettling to find ourselves in the midst of a national crisis where a call to unity requires us to stay away from each other.  While we have witnessed selfish behavior in some, we have also seen people come together and ask what they can do to help. 

As believers, we often hear people say that they want to be good stewards of what God has given them.  They want to take care of what God has blessed them with (home, finances, gifts, talents, etc) and use them to bless others and further His kingdom.  During these unprecedented times, let us not forget to be good stewards of the most precious gift of all…His grace.  “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God.” (Eph. 2:8)  Paul says that the stewardship of God’s grace was given to him for others.  Ephesians 5:1-2 says, “Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children, and walk in love, just as Christ also loved you, and gave Himself up for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God as a fragrant aroma.” 

We have a unique opportunity right now to be salt and light in our communities.  If we truly understand the magnitude of God’s grace toward us, let us extend that same grace to those around us and be a good example and a fragrant aroma.  How do we do that when we are housebound?  Creativity is the key.  We are blessed to live in a highly technological age.  Examples I have seen so far include musicians doing free online concerts, people sharing exercise routines, people sharing ideas and resources to help with home education or keeping little ones occupied, physicians explaining what’s going on in simple terms that we can understand, and people cooking meals in step by step tutorials to help those who might not be as proficient in the kitchen.  For those who are not online as much, I have seen women sewing masks/mask covers by the dozen, cards being written and mailed, sharing of supplies, and people shopping for those most at risk.  Extending grace can be as simple as just having a good attitude and a ready smile and wave when you encounter people on a walk around your neighborhood or saying thank you to those serving us through essential services. 

When you wake up in the morning, ask yourself, “How can I be a good steward of God’s grace today?” and then walk in that.  It IS possible to love your neighbor from afar.  There may be shortages in the supply chain right now, but the supply of God’s grace is vast and infinite.  Being a good steward of God’s grace is guaranteed to bless Him, bless your neighbor, and bless you.

The Mirror of His Word

Most mornings I will join my husband for coffee at our local coffee shop.  We enjoy the smell of roasted coffee beans, the tinkling sound of the bell on the door as customers enter, and the homey décor. I love this wall of mirrors.  It occurred to me the other day that the Word is also like a mirror to us.  It reflects both the truth about God, as well as the truth about us.  I thought I’d switch things up for this post and put it in a Q&A format, and let the Scripture speak directly to your heart.

Is anyone good?

“As it is written, ‘There is none righteous, not even one; there is none who understands, there is none who seeks for God; All have turned aside, together they have become useless; there is none who does good, there is not even one.”  (Romans 3:10-12)

What does the unsaved person think of the message of the cross?

“For the word of the cross is to those who are perishing foolishness, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.”  (1 Corinthians 1:18)

Why do the unsaved view the gospel as foolishness?

“And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing, in whose case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelieving, that they might not see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.”  (2 Corinthians 4:3-4)

What happens when the veil is removed?

“But whenever a man turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away.  Now the Lord is the Spirit; and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.  But we all, with unveiled face beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as from the Lord, the Spirit.”  (2 Corinthians 3:16-18)

The only way a mirror is effective is when the lights are on. 

What (Who) is the source of the Light?

“For God, who said, ‘Light shall shine out of darkness,’ is the One who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ.”  (2 Corinthians 4:6)

What should our response be when we behold God in the light of His Word and reflect on the truth?

“I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me, and I in him, he bears much fruit; for apart from Me you can do nothing.”  (John 15:5)

“For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks at this natural face in a mirror; for once he has looked at himself and gone away, he has immediately forgotten what kind of person he was.  But one who looks intently at the perfect law, the law of liberty, and abides by it, not having become a forgetful hearer but an effectual doer, this man shall be blessed in what he does.”  (James 1:23-25)

When we reflect on His truth and walk in obedience, we are promised three things.  We will:

Be transformed into His image (2 Cor. 3:18)

Bear much fruit (John 15:5)

Be blessed (James 1:25)

Behold

In addition to writing, I enjoy dabbling in photography.  I love to capture beauty, whether it is the shadow of a fern on a wooded path,

or the architecture of a cathedral. 

Photographs help me to remember a moment in time, like my daughter at her dance recital. 

Photography forces me to slow down and really observe my subject, such as the vibrant color and delicate curve of the petals on a flower.

The word “behold” appears well over one thousand times in the Bible.  As I’ve been studying the word blessed, I’ve come across this word several times, so I decided to stop and consider it for a moment.  In the Greek, “behold” means “to gaze with wide-open eyes, as at something remarkable.”  Our culture moves at a frighteningly quick pace.  We are constantly bombarded with information, and our attention is often pulled in multiple directions as we scroll on our phones or drive to our next meeting.  To truly behold something, means that we must slow down and focus. 

Let me use photography to illustrate my point. 

We can see flowers,

or we can behold them. 

Photography has taught me that in order to capture detail, I must be close to the subject.  If I am photographing a close-up of a flower, I am completely absorbed in the moment.  I am captivated by the vibrant colors and appreciate the intricate beauty of the stamen and the petals. The scent is pleasant and soothing. I adjust my focus within the frame and try to artfully capture the unique beauty I am observing. 

Scripture promises that when we draw near to Him, He will draw near to us.  (James 4:8)  When Jesus visited Mary and Martha, Martha was distracted and rushing around with her preparations, but Mary chose to sit at His feet and listen to His word…to behold her Savior.  The Lord told Martha in Luke 10:42, “but only one thing is necessary, for Mary has chosen the good part, which shall not be taken away from her.”  King David expressed in Psalm 27:4, “One thing I have asked from the Lord, that I shall seek; that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the Lord and to meditate in His temple.” 

In order to know our Savior and learn from Him, we must slow down and take the time to observe and consider Him through the light of His word.  We must draw near and adjust our focus.  There is great blessing to be found in beholding our Savior!