Applying Real World Grace

So many take the verse, in Matthew 26:11 and only remember or quote the first part, “The poor you will always have with you.” So many forget that Jesus went on to tell His disciples, “But you will not always have me.”

The whole point of what He was telling His disciples, both then and even today, is that yes, we will always have the poor, but we need to learn as much about Him as we can while He is still in the process of teaching. We need to become His disciples and work just like the first disciples in order to understand His message. He wanted the disciples to absorb everything He had to teach them while He was among them. They did not comprehend everything at once, but they were getting there.

However, today Jesus is among us in the presence of His Holy Spirit. He has promised that everything we need to know, the Holy Spirit will reveal to us. If the Holy Spirit is abiding within us, we, like the early disciples can learn from Jesus’ message.

You and me, we won’t necessarily comprehend everything at once, but God will give us more and more discernment as we serve Him. It is one of the gifts of the Holy Spirit.

Now, this book is not about gifts of the Spirit, but remember we who believe and are baptized have the gift of the Spirit abiding within us. Now that manifests in each one of us differently. The Lord planned it that way so that together, united in Him, we make up His Body on earth. So, just as He had the Spirit of His Father with Him and all the Gifts accordingly, we are His Body now with those same gifts divided amongst us so that the Body, His Church, will be complete in Him.

With that said, my biggest gift is helping. So, what that means, is when I see a need – I roll up my sleeves and help fulfill that need. It might not be my favorite job, but I know God needs someone to do it and I know when He asks me to pitch in and help; that’s part of that discernment I mentioned. After you have read this book and you acknowledge that you are to go and love as Christ loved, you will want to seek and understand how the Holy Spirit works through you. You may not be as surprised as some, but some people are surprised that God wants them to serve Him in a totally different way than they are serving now. New believers will find their place in the Body of Christ and where God wants them to serve. No matter what your gifts, and all of God’s chosen have something, you will be entrusted to use them in Love. This Agape Love is the greatest gift we all have. Yes, it is a commandment; love your God with your whole heart and love your neighbor as yourself. We may not always feel love for others, but Agape loves commands us to love as God loved and that means we act in love, despite how we feel.

Friends, you will never run out of ways to serve charities and the list of things people need help with will provide you with avenues left and right. The real task is to know the best way and the best time to share God’s Truth, and you can rest assured, the Holy Spirit will let you know. God’s command and our need to serve reminds me of the popular Christian song by Matthew West – Do Something. That is what the Holy Spirit is saying, do something!

It is time to apply Real World Grace in every aspect of our lives. If not now – when. Each of us can start this very day. Start out with small baby steps, sharing love with everyone you can. Pray each day that God places people in your life and your path to demonstrate His love too. There will be times you may find people who are cheating you in one way or another, but God will give you the promised discernment. Do not forget, even cheaters need our love too; and maybe more so.

Now don’t say – why me? – I’m not good enough to show others God’s love. I’m a baby Christian, or I’m not a member of a church and I’m teetering on who God is and why would He want me. I know it’s a temptation to use an excuse like this, but I encourage you to read God’s word and take one week to see God’s love in action. Those temptations that the enemy places in your mind will soon vanish when immersed in God’s word. God will lead you in the right direction at the right time, He promises and His promises are sure and true.

So, stop that negative and defeatist thinking that I’m not good enough! Be reminded that Abraham was not perfect, Moses was not perfect, and King David was far from perfect, but they are credited with God’s Righteousness. Because they believed in God, no matter what, through their imperfections and obstacles. We also are made righteous through His Son. I have mentioned this throughout the whole book, there is no sin greater than the sacrifice Jesus gave to blot out those sins. Christ died on a cross to take away our sins, all our sins. We are set free from our chains of bondage to sin and can now go and serve Him freely; not to be perfect, but to strive to reach the prize.

That prize is not millions of dollars for us to spend on things we want or need. The selfish things we want and think we need will become less of a priority. Giving to others in so many ways will come naturally and we will truly become God’s servants.

As I began at the beginning of this book, God wants all of us to be His disciples. We do that by continuing to live in the light of Christ Jesus and sharing His love with the people He brings our way, forming relationships with them, and, as we lift Christ up, He will draw them to Himself. We may be the ones that God uses to plant the seeds of faith in someone, or we may be the ones that God uses to nurture them, or be the ones God uses to reap the harvest of their souls so that they can start being people of Christ and thus begin the mentoring and creating of more disciples for Christ. Jesus started with twelve men and soon, men and women from all over started to follow Him and now look at Christianity today. Christianity is God’s spiritual force of multiplication, not just addition. When we create disciples for Jesus and teach them to disciple others for Jesus, His plan, and His mission is being fulfilled through each one exponentially.

Remember there is no place for hatred or anger in this picture. Real World Grace is about loving people, providing for their needs, and sharing the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

We will be able to share in our own words and share stories of the Gospel, and glimpses of Christ will shine through us. The light will become brighter and brighter. God’s love trumps all things.

Cathy Merritt