By His Grace: Giving Up the Grind and Embracing God's Grace This EasterIhe Atụ

Day 5

Grace is the foundation for growth.

Part of my journey as an adoptive parent has involved going through lots of training on the effects of childhood trauma. One interesting thing that we learned early in our training is that children who feel safe and have a secure attachment to a trusted caregiver take more risks. Children who do not experience consistent, loving attachments quickly begin to perceive the world as frightening and dangerous. They will often start to miss developmental milestones as they subconsciously decide to limit their exploration to preserve their own safety.

Similarly, when we don’t have a secure attachment to our heavenly father, built on faith that Jesus will graciously pick us up when we fall and comfort us amid the messes we make, we miss the opportunity to grow and flourish in the way we were designed.

Read Luke 15:11-32. This famous parable tells the story of two sons with very different experiences with their father. One of the sons was reckless; he took gifts from his father and squandered them until he found himself in a desperate situation and had to come to his father begging for forgiveness. Meanwhile, the older son stayed at home and- at least in his estimation- lived in strict obedience to his father. Yet, in a surprising twist, the father rejoiced over his wayward son while his law-abiding son rejected the opportunity to celebrate with his father. Why was one son embraced and the other estranged? The younger son chose to live in the reality of his father’s grace, while the older son chose to live by the law of self-righteousness. Living in grace gives us the freedom to fail, repent, and grow closer to God. Living according to our own best efforts leads us to live in constant fear of failure.

Knowing that God offers us daily grace emboldened Abraham to bargain with God, Jacob to wrestle with God, David to trust that he was truly redeemed, and Paul to speak out against popular opinion. Misunderstanding God’s grace led the Pharisees to rewrite stricter versions of the law, their ‘hedge around the law,’ that effectively boxed them into an unsustainable lifestyle.

God’s grace sets us free from the bonds of perfection and self-preservation, giving us the opportunity to grow as well-loved children of the king.

Reflection

Read Luke 15:11-32 slowly and carefully. Reflect on what you have read and consider the following questions:

1. What lie did the older son in the parable believe? How can you guard yourself against internalizing lies?

2. There are many places in the Bible that use the metaphor of a father and child to describe the relationship between man and God. What does an ideal parent-child relationship look like? How is this similar or different from your relationship with God?

Response

Pray, and tell God about what you have learned from this passage. Ask God to illuminate anything that you are struggling to grasp. Consider what you learned about God, and use what you have learned to direct your worship.