GRACIOUSNESS

I’m not particularly proud of this, but when people betray me -- when people deceive me in a way that winds up being very hurtful -- sometimes my reflex is to want them to somehow pay for hurting me. Every human being who has been wronged in some way is tempted to slam dunk whoever wrongs him or her.

A couple of weeks from now you’ll be gathered with family for the holiday. And most likely, in the same room with you are going to be some people who have hurt you in some way, betrayed you or wronged you. That stuff happens … even in great families.

So, at that Christmas family gathering we have decisions to make. We have gifts to consider giving to people, even to those we feel deserve nothing good from us at all. And we can either act on dark impulses that aren’t from God that make us want to inflict damage and hurt people who have wronged us … or … we can give the gift of graciousness to someone. 

We can engage in that battle and we can imitate Christ and treat someone with grace instead of judgment. I’m not saying that is always going to be easy, but if we’re Christ followers, graciousness is a gift we have to give.

There is a picture of a candle up there. It represents the gift of graciousness because it doesn’t matter if I have to go thru a hundred nearly melted down candles, I’m not going to give up being gracious -- I’m not going to give up waiting on the one who needs my grace. I’m not going to let that candle go out -- I’m going to keep lighting it over and over -- even when they try to blow the light out with their anger -- even when they kick dust on it -- even when they knock it over ---- I’ll keep lighting it again and again and again and again -- as long as it takes -- because God has called me to give the gift of graciousness to those around me - even those who hurt me -- and because God has been gracious to me.

I’ve engaged in the battle for graciousness and with God’s help, I’ve granted it to some folks and let them off the hook. But I’ve also done the other, where I’ve tried to make people pay. But I'll say this: I have never experienced satisfaction in my spirit for trying to make someone pay. I thought it would feel sweet. It didn’t.

And every time -- when I’ve worked it the other way and kept the candle lit and engaged in the battle for graciousness -- with the help of the Holy Spirit -- every single time -- when I’ve decided to cancel a debt and let someone off the hook -- when I’ve decided to bless instead of curse — that's when my spirit has found satisfaction.

God calls you to it.

And be blessed.