Should our circumstances define us or should our walk with God define us? I have noticed that people blame more readily than accept that which is part of the struggle of life especially in human relationships. What they believe and what they do are often at odds. I assume this means that the belief is not fully in God. Blame, which produces resentment, can cause a rut that one lives and lives and relives and gets stuck in. Unforgiveness is sustained in the heart when pain has enclosed one’s spirit. A refreshing of God is needed big time. God tells us to forgive those who have trespassed against us. But how? I believe it takes God helping us if we are willing to let him. We must also let go of the anger we feel toward the person who injured us emotionally or physically. We need to be who God wants us to be whether or not the other person or persons chooses to own up. I know it is possible, and I also know that it is not easy. It takes an act of God with a focus on him rather than focusing on the cause. He is greater than any circumstance or hurt even the ugliest ones of all.  God wishes to change this self-protective mode of living.

Contrary to what many think, the concept of grace has layers of thought.  With interest, I have been reading Bonheoffer’s* opinion about Martin Luther’s understanding of the concept of grace. Martin Luther was a monk during a time of decay in the catholic church. In despair, he began to search. Eventually, he was profoundly amazed by the concept of grace, in contrast to performance-based religion. Bonheoffer, in his book The Cost of Discipleship, breaks it down into two compartments “cheap grace” and “costly grace.” He believed that Luther was expounding on costly grace but unfortunately, he has gone down historically as a proponent of cheap grace, through misinterpretation of bold statements. According to my understanding of what Bonheoffer is saying, costly grace is sacrificial grace whereby one lives a sacrificial life for God bound tightly to the Source. Cheap grace is a lesser belief that says “by grace are you saved” as a stand-alone grace with a lesser belief in the commitment that goes with it, kind of like fire insurance. The danger in the arrogant life of  “pious duty” or the callous life of “anything goes if I will confess it,” is that both of these miss the mark. Salvation is by faith in God with belief centered in the finished work of Christ, the keystone to spiritual life.

I have to agree, we cheapen grace when we make it a formula for getting to heaven and not much more. I have taught cheap grace myself in days gone past, what the mental belief is. Now I say much more. The heart belief must go deeper or at least match. People must embrace Christ by yielding themselves to him. It may be in a slow process, starting at the point of salvation and then steadily becoming deepening faith, working out your salvation, a process of growing deeper in one’s understanding and love. The parable of the sower and the seeds is so indicative of what I am trying to say. Some belief never takes root, some sprouts then dies. Other seed falls amongst the weeds or falls on stony ground. But the seed that grows and thrives is rooted in the good soil of Christ Jesus and responds to His sunlight (care), rich nutrients (scripture and learning), and then produces (mature in belief that shares out). Why should we be surprised when some newly planted fall away? We shouldn’t be. I do believe God desires that all of us produce.

* * * * *

I recently was reading in an agriculture journal about a new-to-the-area weed that is devastating pastureland in the north state. It is a grass that is difficult to eradicate and is not good for the cattle to eat. There are other problems in a similar area, there is the problem of bamboo that grows up to one foot a day and sends tubers under the ground, multiplying swiftly. I have seen evidence of this in the bed of Stony Creek out of Orland. It has bamboo all over the place, much different than when I was a child. Bamboo growth has caused a problem for the rice farmers overtaking the checks and is becoming increasingly difficult to clear out. Rye grass is adding to our problem-weed populations. We are getting some of it by the road by the orchard I farm. The theory is that seeds are hitching a ride on trucks and then are being displaced in the fields as the trucks travel by. I can’t get rid of the rye grass. It is hearty and tenacious. When weeds flourish, they continue to multiply. It is a concern. A spiritual analogy can be made. In the church, a weed problem, disharmony or allowing overt sin, can overtake and devastate the purpose for which people of God unite. Even an issue like gossip can and will have a detrimental impact when it multiplies like a errant weed gone to seed. Once established, it overtakes the good. Oh, to live in the spirit, not in the flesh, to pray for blessings on people rather than curses of criticism. Preaching to the choir here.

* * * * *

Christ demonstrates many things. He shows us the way of the good seed.
He shows us how to live and love, listen and serve.

Christ obeys — We should obey.
Christ teaches — We should teach.
Christ loves — We should love.
Christ serves — We should serve.
Christ gives — We should give.
Christ denied Himself — We should deny self.
Christ was a light in the darkness — We should be lights in the world.
Christ spoke the truth in love — We should speak the truth in love
Christ served as a servant — We should serve as servants
Christ is real — We should be real.
Christ prayed — We should pray.
Christ performed miracles — We should participate in miracles.
Christ loved the children — We should love the children
Christ offers salvation — We should share with others His offer of salvation
† † †

N. L. Brumbaugh, with a monastic interlude from a book I am writing, The Sacred Place

*The Cost of Discipleship

N. L. Brumbaugh’s BOOK: THE MEETING PLACE

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