Amazing Grace

I am always amazed when God extends His grace to me, especially when I have been what I would call “terminal stupid” and am getting set to be buried in just what I deserve. The emotion of knowing we have been our own worst enemy comes from looking in the mirror. We also see others who make a royal mess of their lives and we are called on to help someone them. It would be too easy to declare they are their own worst enemy and they are getting what they deserve; but, when we are tempted to do that, with others, or looking in the mirror, we have to remember the amazing grace God extends to us.

Psalm 103 tells us this about God, “Bless the Lord O my soul, and forget none of His benefits; who pardons your iniquities, who heals all your diseases; who redeems your life from the pit, who crowns you with lovingkindness and compassion” (Psalm 103:2-4). For our sins we have a full pardon because of the Lord Jesus Christ. But He also heals the diseases that come with it and pulls us out of the pit. Do we deserve it? No, we know we are our own worst enemy. But God loves us anyway.

The challenge for us is to live out in relationships all that God has showed us in His relationship with us. Peter knew that the Rabbis said you should forgive someone three times, so he thought he would be spiritual. “Then Peter came and said to Him, ‘Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me and I forgive him? Up to seven times?’ Jesus said to him, ‘I do not say to you, up to seven times, but up to seventy times seven’” (Matthew 18:21,22). Now before we growl and remember someone in our lives that is working their way up to about 432 times (70×7) we’ve had to forgive them, Jesus is actually saying we never stop forgiving someone, even if they are their own worst enemy.

The story of Israel and their journey from slavery to a nation in the promised land is one of a stubborn, obstinate people who were their own worst enemy. Psalm 107 reflects on that when it says, “Fools, because of their rebellious way, and because of their iniquities were afflicted” (Psalm 107:17). They rebelled against God, and reaped the consequences, they knew they were getting what they had been repeatedly warned that would happen to them. “Then they cried out to the Lord in their trouble; He saved them out of their distresses. He sent His word and healed them and delivered them from their destructions. Let them give thanks to the Lord for His lovingkindness, and for His wonders to the sons of men!” (Psalm 107:19-21).

They rebelled, made their choice, did some pretty bad stuff, and reaped the consequences. But again and again, when they cried out to God, He gave them His amazing grace. He forgave them, healed them, and restored them. Has He pulled you out of the pit? He has done that for me, many times. We have never buried ourselves so badly that God cannot or will not pull us out. But we can be our own worst enemy and just stay there.

My friends in ministries like working with the homeless, alcoholics, or addicts share with me that you cannot help someone who is their own worst enemy if you cannot deal with recidivism (falling down and having to start over). You cannot stomp your foot and just say “I’m done”. God keeps giving us His amazing grace, and we need to keep trying with each other, because all of us know we can be our own worst enemy.

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