My mother-in-law hates rodents. She despises them. The thought of a rats or mice in her vicinity make her squirm. I have been to my in-laws house and seen the plug in receptacle that is suppose to put off frequencies that keep rodents away. She doesn’t mind squirrels as much but that is another blog topic entirely.
Recently, I have been reading some material that is challenging my thoughts about grace. I am sure you are thinking what does rats and grace have to do with each other..we will get there, be patient. Growing up in America the terminology of grace has been used in abundance. We have people named Grace, famous hymns sung about it and even refer to saying “grace” before we eat a meal. In my walk with God, I have read books, heard countless sermons and studied extensively this topic. But recently I have became aware of this rat that lives inside me that has been gnawing the grace of God away.I have come to realize that my views of grace are not as concrete as I had assumed. Even though I’ve been taught that the grace of God is always present and that grace is accessed through faith, I constantly have battled the idea that I’m just not good enough. When I think of my roles of a dad, husband, son, church planter or even a Christian, I have this rat that gnaws away at me. Did you know that a rats front teeth constantly are growing? They have this innate desire to gnaw because the moment they cease the gnawing, is the moment their teeth get the upper hand and could eventually grow too much and kill them. I can’t help but think that I view grace in the same means. The moment I stop doing, or stop trying to perfect this work God started in my will lead to my demise. God forbid that I use the grace in vain (read Rom. 6:1) We know grace is not an excuse to sin!!!
Can I just say that I’m tired of all this tumultuous thinking? Did the Son of Man come in bodily form (yet being fully divine) suffer an atrocious death then rise from the dead so He could let these rats live to gnaw away His provision from His body the church? When you and I think of ourselves in view of God’s standards we must filter it through the cross. We must submit not just our sins and evil deeds but also our good works and best efforts. They fail to compare of the perfection of Jesus. “God made Him who had no sin to be sin that we might become the righteousness of God.” (2 Cor. 5:21 NIV) Kill the rat for God’s sake!! God wants people to know that He has provision for us everytime we ask for it. We need to affirm the truth that He is for us and with us.
