A Stingy Grace

If you look up the word, "stingy" (stinjee) in the dictionary, you will find the following definitions: "miserly, stressing a pathological pleasure in acquiring and hoarding", "mean, ungiving, penurious", "scanty, meager", and "a small minded, ignoble way that leads to miserable, cheerless living." There are several other definitions but you get the jist of the word.

Recently, Ned and I have been forced to deal with several situations wherein one or both parties are very stingy with their grace. I am amazed that we so readily forget just how much God has done for us. When we find ourselves withholding our gifts because someone has offended us, withdrawing our participation because we are not getting our way, or disengaging ourselves from our Christian family because we simply don't agree with everyone, I believe we are exhibiting all of the negative words that define the word "stingy".

In the past few weeks I have personally heard discussions about whether or not the church should be benevolent and offer help to those who are not a part of the body. I have heard conversations about whether or not we should give the same recognition to members who are very involved as we do those on the fringe. I have been privy to an argument about how much we should actually reach out to an unwed mother in our congregation, because our help to her might be misconstrued as approval of her situation. Where is grace? Have we forgotten that we were lost in sin and wallowing in unrighteousness and Someone (God) had compassion on us? Is our memory so short that we have forgotten how He loved us anyway and loved us enough to die for us? He was generous with His grace and yet we tend to hold on to ours, saving it for only those we deem "worthy". How sad is that? It seems that too often we behave as if we only have a limited supply of grace and must therefore hoard it or be very selective about who receives it. Don't we know that grace never runs out? That so long as we walk in the light, His grace and mercy continually makes us clean and whole? Have we never read Luke 6:38? "Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you." In the context, Jesus is speaking to His disciples about judging and condemning, giving and forgiving. He is telling them how to act like His disciples and He talks about generosity.

Maybe I am just incredibly naive but I believe the things, the money, the time, the possessions, we have do not belong to us--they belong to God and He, out of His generosity gives them to us. He expects us to share these gifts with others, to use them to further the message of redemption and saving love. I truly believe, and I believe scripture teaches that when we give graciously and generously, we receive in abundance and will not be in want. Grace will not run dry---but will constantly be renewed and refilled by the blessed Giver. Why then do we hoard our grace?Why do we base our giving on whether or not the person deserves it or what their response will be? If they misuse our gift, that is between them and God. We are accountable to Him only for our response to their need!

I want to be kind and gracious, full of compassion and mercy. I want to be a good steward of what God gives me, but I want to be a true giver. I realize that as long as we are stingy with our grace, we will live "a miserable and cheerless" life. Let's live this week, this month, this year, this life as people who are known for our generous grace! What do you say?

Blessings

Neva