What is a community of grace?
A place where all people are welcomed and blessed, no matter who they are, what they are like, what they have done or not done, or how they stand in relationship to God.
Jesus models this with His disciples, a motley crew of followers from a variety of backgrounds – spiritual, social, moral, personality type.
To be part of a community of grace is wonderful, but to be a community of grace is difficult.
Grace is undeserved blessing, which sounds so nice when applied to us, but is so much harder when applied to people that annoy us, or offend us, or mistreat us, or take advantage of us.
Does being a community of grace mean that we are nice, respectful, patient with everyone?
What about speaking the truth in love, providing accountability, gentle rebuke?
When is it time to say something about someone’s unhealthy or harmful behaviours?
What does being a grace community look like in this specific instances:
- Someone who is loud, obnoxious, full of themselves, and talks your ear off?
- Someone who does not show up to fulfill a church role, without letting you know?
- Someone who makes foolish choices, and asks for help with the consequences?
- Someone who never helps with anything, but is always ready to complain when things go wrong?
- Someone who is always right, and very opinionated?
- Someone who always changes the conversation to be about themselves?
- Someone who lives a lifestyle that is morally disturbing to you?
- Someone who smells, has obvious personal hygiene issues?
- Someone who is always down, and brings you down when they talk to you?
- Can you think of other examples?
Have you experienced a community of grace?
How would your describe a community of grace?
Isn’t it great that we don’t have to judge others or compare them to ourselves? And let us not think how great it is that we are not being judged or compared by the people in our community. Thank you Lord for the freedom to be just who you made us and who you want us to be that comes through Grace.
Yes of course. People are not perfect and will always make mistakes and let us down, even the people closest to us. God is the only one we can totally count on and thank goodness He is always gracious with us.
What about being gracious with church leaders who just don’t get me, or with dogmatic christians who are always accusing us of not being good enough, or preachers who can’t preach – does that mean we gotta be gracious with them too?