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Wrong Paths

We can take wrong paths that lead us away from grace. For example:

● Expecting instant success. We forget discipleship takes time. We make allowances for unbelievers, but in our churches, we want people who are already mature. Yet we are all in the messy process of growth. If there isn’t a mess, we don’t need grace.

● How we react to sin and confession. Our reactions to sin and confessions show the culture we have as a church.Do we react with shock or self-righteousness? Do we rank sins or habits, treating some severely while ignoring others? Such reactions do not lead toward grace.

● Acting as if change is simple. We give people struggling with sin a few verses to read, tell them to pray, and encourage them to stop sinning. If that’s all it takes, no one would struggle with sin. How many have read, prayed, tried to stop, and then sinned again? When we act like change is simple, we become performance-based, not grace-based.

● Harsh church discipline. We lack grace when we emphasize punishment (paying to learn a lesson) instead of restitution (paying those who were wronged). Our purpose should be to restore the believer toward full fellowship.

● Taboo topics. When there are things no one discusses—either from the pulpit or in small groups—we communicate that we don’t know how to handle these topics or that God’s grace doesn’t extend to them. What aren’t you talking about? Are you appeasing, avoiding, or trying to act like the issue doesn’t exist? That isn’t grace!

● Only telling happy stories. By suggesting that God fixes every problem, heals every sickness, and restores every marriage, we communicate that if problems persist, there’s something wrong with us. God is at work, but not always how we would like. Cultures of grace make room for telling stories of struggle to encourage those in the fray.

● Honoring the finished product and not the process. People who are gifted preachers and musicians should use those gifts, but is there room in your church for those who are still learning? Can they serve only when they are “good enough?”

● Replicating dysfunction. Many of us lead by copying what we learned in our family of origin, both good and bad. But the church is meant to be a new and healthy family that can reparent us in conflict resolution, sexuality, and dealing with grief.

● A faulty view of transformation. If our primary approach to transformation is preaching and teaching alone, grace will be limited. Knowledge puffs up while love builds up (1 Corinthians 8:1). Grace is experienced in loving, healthy relationships.

If you’re on the wrong path, all your effort and desire won’t get you to a better place. To pursue a culture of grace, recognize the faulty path, turn around, and head toward the right one.