By Tim Knapp
As I sit in front of my computer by the window, I can see the abandoned cardboard mat in front of the building across the street, where a homeless guy has slept until around noon for the last two mornings. This is a little unusual for our upper west side neighborhood. Although I've seen and met several homeless people on the streets near our apartment, they don't usually hang out here. As I stared out the window at this man yesterday morning it occurred to me what a gulf there is between him and me.
I can't help but think what a contrast this city is to the place I've just recently come from. I wonder how friends or family would respond to this view of pathetic poverty, right outside our window. I watch as a mom and her young daughter swing wide to go around this guy, asleep and oblivious to all passers-by. What a lesson this little girl has gained without knowing it, just pushing her baby-doll stroller around this homeless man.
When you walk the streets here, you're forced to deal with this chasm between the haves and have nots. You're at least forced to view it. You're reminded again and again of its reality. And during more introspective moments--if you're honest--you realize that the gulf is not that wide. After all, was it my choice to be born into my family? Did I choose to have this ability to think or reason or make a buck?
Many of us have come to the conclusion--whether conscious or no--that I am to credit for the life I have. That it's the result of my good decisions and hard work. That I choose to be what I am. And what's more, if he would just choose to, he also could have more. That if he would just get up and get with it, he'd not be homeless either. We can't imagine being that aimless, that lazy, that unmotivated. Then we apply a similar reason to the other areas...how could she have that opinion, that affiliation, that view? And the chasm gets even wider.
Tim Keller recently stated, "It is in encountering others unlike us that we begin to see how the greatness of God's mercy can overcome our prejudices." I am beginning to understand what that statement means.
Tuesday, June 29, 2010
Wednesday, June 16, 2010
A New Lease
By Tim Knapp
If there's a drawback to having an extremely competitive background, it's that you're constantly putting a new goal, challenge, or project in front of you. It's not just who we are, it's what we do. It matters not whether one's ever stepped foot on a court or field of competition. We seek glory. We want affirmation, accolades, trophies, success. We want our lives to matter. Period.
It's interesting the ways God has of helping us realize what matters. At times he provides breakthroughs in thinking that change everything, and the entire direction of your life is altered. And for the better. One area I believe he longs to see us impacted with is our concept of grace.
God would not have us live under the oppression of duty, obligation, and indebtedness to our church, or to him. Nor would he have us hold the misguided idea of needing to "earn his favor". God has released us from the bondage of having to pay him back. I mean, how do you pay God back, anyway? Seriously. I understand feeling indebted. And we should. But imagine your son coming to you after his birthday party saying, "Dad, I'm going to spend the rest of my life paying you back for that BB gun." Or what if you overheard your friends, whom you've just treated to a nice steak dinner, mumbling to themselves..."Dang. Now we have to buy them steaks!" We'd be manipulative creatures indeed if the only reason we gave was to get. We all do this at times. But it's not God's way at all.
God doesn't coerce or manipulate. He sent his son to die not to gain followers, loyalty, or build his ego. He wouldn't have us do it either. Why do we behave as if paying him back is our duty? Or live as if our only purpose in life should be to please him. Don't get me wrong, I'm all for pleasing God; I just don't think it should have anything to do with why we do it. Do you want your kids to behave and be good in order to please you? Is it so they will look like good people? Is it so others will think they're quality kids? Of course not. We're guilty of parenting this way, but God isn't.
Though we still fail in loving as God does, we ought to follow his example of aiming for the heart--not the behavior. This so helps us understand how God operates. He doesn't need our loyalty and following. He desires it, but that's for our sake, not his. He is and was willing to go to radical extremes to win our hearts, but so we would be willing for him to use and transform us. We tell and we're told to be good, like it or not. Just serve and love until your feelings fall in line. Problem is, it's bad logic. This says...your feelings are secondary (they are), just act like (false pretense) you're good (which you're obviously not) until you feel like it (which is frustrating, 'cause you never do).
This faulty thinking causes our kids to play the game well, or outright rebel. It causes Christians to play the game well also. They look good, but on the inside something's really missing. Sooner or later we fly apart at the seams, or quit the church altogether, growing tired of the logic we feel is wrong to begin with. It makes leaders exhausted. It gets old trying to get people to do what they won't or can't do in the first place.
Embracing God's love and grace is liberating. God will not look me in the eye at the judgement day and say, "Is that all you have to offer...Is that all you did?!" It won't happen. It's NOT about what we can do for God...It's about what Jesus did for me. That's grace. And embracing it means getting off the treadmill of Christian work and duty, and basking in the reality of the cross and what it means for my past, present, and future. Wow.
It means I am more motivated than ever to love generously, give more, and work harder at being what Jesus alone made possible. This is what embracing grace does; it gets at our hearts and motivates us in a way that simply addressing behavior can never do. We drive people away by placing more demands, requirements, and duties on them than God does. The church shrinks, people don't want to come, and we wonder why. We end up frustrated and feeling like no one is as committed as we are.
It's this grace that gives us a new lease on life. It gives faith new meaning. It helps me understand and admit I can't be what I'm supposed to be; neither can those around me. It means I have faith that because I can't, Jesus did, and will do what I can't. It's the only way I will continue to flop and still have joy in the fact that I'm loved beyond belief. This drives me toward Jesus in a way that my dad's belt or my teacher's lectures never could, never will. This concept of grace does more than our old, oft-heard definition, "unmerited favor", ever could. It's this grace that enables us to believe and live as if the Gospel changes everything...because it does, when fully embraced.
If there's a drawback to having an extremely competitive background, it's that you're constantly putting a new goal, challenge, or project in front of you. It's not just who we are, it's what we do. It matters not whether one's ever stepped foot on a court or field of competition. We seek glory. We want affirmation, accolades, trophies, success. We want our lives to matter. Period.
It's interesting the ways God has of helping us realize what matters. At times he provides breakthroughs in thinking that change everything, and the entire direction of your life is altered. And for the better. One area I believe he longs to see us impacted with is our concept of grace.
God would not have us live under the oppression of duty, obligation, and indebtedness to our church, or to him. Nor would he have us hold the misguided idea of needing to "earn his favor". God has released us from the bondage of having to pay him back. I mean, how do you pay God back, anyway? Seriously. I understand feeling indebted. And we should. But imagine your son coming to you after his birthday party saying, "Dad, I'm going to spend the rest of my life paying you back for that BB gun." Or what if you overheard your friends, whom you've just treated to a nice steak dinner, mumbling to themselves..."Dang. Now we have to buy them steaks!" We'd be manipulative creatures indeed if the only reason we gave was to get. We all do this at times. But it's not God's way at all.
God doesn't coerce or manipulate. He sent his son to die not to gain followers, loyalty, or build his ego. He wouldn't have us do it either. Why do we behave as if paying him back is our duty? Or live as if our only purpose in life should be to please him. Don't get me wrong, I'm all for pleasing God; I just don't think it should have anything to do with why we do it. Do you want your kids to behave and be good in order to please you? Is it so they will look like good people? Is it so others will think they're quality kids? Of course not. We're guilty of parenting this way, but God isn't.
Though we still fail in loving as God does, we ought to follow his example of aiming for the heart--not the behavior. This so helps us understand how God operates. He doesn't need our loyalty and following. He desires it, but that's for our sake, not his. He is and was willing to go to radical extremes to win our hearts, but so we would be willing for him to use and transform us. We tell and we're told to be good, like it or not. Just serve and love until your feelings fall in line. Problem is, it's bad logic. This says...your feelings are secondary (they are), just act like (false pretense) you're good (which you're obviously not) until you feel like it (which is frustrating, 'cause you never do).
This faulty thinking causes our kids to play the game well, or outright rebel. It causes Christians to play the game well also. They look good, but on the inside something's really missing. Sooner or later we fly apart at the seams, or quit the church altogether, growing tired of the logic we feel is wrong to begin with. It makes leaders exhausted. It gets old trying to get people to do what they won't or can't do in the first place.
Embracing God's love and grace is liberating. God will not look me in the eye at the judgement day and say, "Is that all you have to offer...Is that all you did?!" It won't happen. It's NOT about what we can do for God...It's about what Jesus did for me. That's grace. And embracing it means getting off the treadmill of Christian work and duty, and basking in the reality of the cross and what it means for my past, present, and future. Wow.
It means I am more motivated than ever to love generously, give more, and work harder at being what Jesus alone made possible. This is what embracing grace does; it gets at our hearts and motivates us in a way that simply addressing behavior can never do. We drive people away by placing more demands, requirements, and duties on them than God does. The church shrinks, people don't want to come, and we wonder why. We end up frustrated and feeling like no one is as committed as we are.
It's this grace that gives us a new lease on life. It gives faith new meaning. It helps me understand and admit I can't be what I'm supposed to be; neither can those around me. It means I have faith that because I can't, Jesus did, and will do what I can't. It's the only way I will continue to flop and still have joy in the fact that I'm loved beyond belief. This drives me toward Jesus in a way that my dad's belt or my teacher's lectures never could, never will. This concept of grace does more than our old, oft-heard definition, "unmerited favor", ever could. It's this grace that enables us to believe and live as if the Gospel changes everything...because it does, when fully embraced.
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