“Whatever I am now, it is all because God poured out his grace on me—and not without results … Yet it wasn’t me, but God working through me by his grace” (1Cor.15:10).
Dear Jesus, there’s no greater morass, trap, and pit than living horizontally—that is, to be noticed, validated, rewarded, and fulfilled by “mere” people. It never “works,” because it requires always working. “Have I done enough?” and “Are you happy yet?” are questions asked by those who live by the relational math of Karma—that is, by a wage-earning paradigm.
But to live by Grace is the opposite of striving by Karma. The Gospel put an end to all wage-earning—not all effort, but to all deserving, earning, meriting in our relationship with you, Jesus. To live by grace changes the axis of our entire existence. We live and love by “Done!”—what you have done for us, Jesus not by “Do!”—”Do more, try harder.”
To live by grace is to live vertically first—grace descending to us in the Gospel; and horizontally second—grace extended through us to others. How attractive, how liberating… and we really, really want to live like this, Jesus. Build, rebuild, and refuel a culture of grace in our hearts. We don’t work for your grace, but your grace does work in us.
Then help us build a culture of grace in our friendships, marriages, parenting, and vocations. Help us to break the cycle of living as affirmation junkies, rejection phobiacts, and relational legalists. No human should have the power to “fill our love tank” or ruin our day. Only your love is better than life, Jesus. Only your love is enough. So Very Amen.