Amazed by Grace

                I just got back from one week on a Serve Team with World Gospel Outreach ( www.wgoreach.org ) in Tegucigalpa, Honduras.  One thing that captured my attention this week was; I am amazed with God’s grace.  This week we spent lots of time sharing, one to one, God’s Gospel message to everyone who would hear.  It was for everyone freely given with no regard to the recipients merit or history.  It was powerful and freeing.  Then it hit me.  I am normally not so full of grace!

                Grace is not really a human characteristic…  I know we can be gracious but, just think about how many times you withhold grace even from yourself, and then think about those who have wronged you!  How freely do we give grace?  Or has there been a moment where you know you did wrong and it broke your heart, then you could not find the grace and forgiveness that you really longed for from people? 

                But at the medical brigades in Tegucigalpa, we had the opportunity to offer the same message with who ever sat across from us.  We saw:  Cops both good and bad, prostitutes, gang members, pimps, abused wives, abusive husbands, teenage mothers, adulteresses, gays, lesbians, sinners and the list goes on.  And time and time again, we offered the same life changing message without ever giving thought to the worthiness of the recipient.  We made no demands for a change of behavior before we took the time to love and care about them.  Most of the time we did not even ask, but they freely expressed their sin to us. 

                But, on the other hand I know how difficult it is in my home to offer the same judgment free grace to those I know.  Sometimes I saw team members offer free grace all day long.  Then withhold it from those whom they are serving beside because they already know who they are,  have judged their sins, and determined their merit.  I realized now how amazing it is to offer God-like grace… even if the only way I could do it was out of ignorance.  But, God goes a giant leap beyond my ignorant grace when he offers his free gift of grace.  He knows each and every one of my faults and your faults, he is not ignorant of our need for His grace!  God does not hold back his forgiveness from us.

Romans 5:6-8 (NLT)

When we were utterly helpless, Christ came at just the right time and died for us sinners.  Now, most people would not be willing to die for an upright person, though someone might perhaps be willing to die for a person who is especially good.  But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners.

              Last week I brought Christ to sinners, not good people, not upright people but sinners. Yes, these people who share this same distinction with us.  I wonder if that is why God sends us on short term missions?  Do we need of taste of His way of handing out grace so we will understand the grace we have received so freely?
              Lord, thank you for giving me the opportunity to hand out with out reservation Your free gospel message.  Please forgive me for not offering the same grace with others that You knowingly give me, an undeserving sinner. 

Check out the pictures from my trip at www.facebook.com/walkinginobedience