Grace Comes With No Strings Attached.

Generosity in life and graciousness in giving don’t require, or reward, emotional manipulation {guilt-tripping}, a point-system {chalking up my brownie points}, the demand for recognition {a plaque on the wall, your name on a pew, a thank-you card or a legal record}, a lust for approbation, the expectation of approval, competition with the cat next to you or bribing God for a better deal.  All these involve what is popularly known as ‘attaching a string.’  What’s fascinating to me about this is grace always comes to us with no strings attached.  O sweet, sweet irony.

Didn’t Paul say in 2 Corinthians 8:9, “For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor, so that you through His poverty might become rich”— spiritually, eternally, intellectually and ethically.  With a set of values, a core of convictions, and a system of priorities, based on the Living Word of the Living God.  And a heart set on Eternity.

Our generosity of soul— our willingness to ‘live generously’— reflects who and what we are.  Generosity and graciousness reveal the character of the giver, not the receiver.  So, how does one evolve from tight-fisted to open-hearted?  Centre your life in the Word and will of your King.  Maturing in both of these enhances and expands our hearts’ capacity for love, for Life, and for grace.  Think about this the next time a divinely designated opportunity gets dropped in your lap.  The breakdown?  [i] The Son of God gave Himself for you on the basis of who and what He is.  [ii] The recipients {you and I and the entire human race} neither earned nor deserved His Gift!  [iii] Jesus demanded nothing in return from humanity before dying for our sins.

Jesus’ Gift to humanity came with no strings attached.  Agreed?  This is the very nature and heartbeat of grace.  And generosity in the gifts we give should always flow from a heart of grace.  They are intimately connected.  To separate them is to move outside of the way Abba works and the realm in which He operates and into the realm in which we take over!  Why would we do this?  Cause surely there’s a better way than simply trusting God to provide for my needs.  Surely, He won’t mind a little manipulation, the subtle exertion of pressure, a minor amount of intimidation.  Surely.

Wherever you find yourself one day, in whatever Family of Faith, remember this.  Then make up your mind who you’re going to serve.  Grace does not pressure people to give.  Grace does not ‘gimmick’ anyone into giving or deceive anyone for money.  Ever!  Grace simply opens the Door of Opportunity: ‘here is the need, and here’s how we can meet it.’  Give or don’t give, a little or a lot; it’s just this simple.

One last thing.  Requiring recognition for our gifts is just another attack on the glory of grace.  It’s one thing to need a receipt from a 501(c)3 for your taxes; it’s another to demand public recognition of what we gave and how we gave it, of how we came riding to the rescue of this church, or ministry, or charity, how it wouldn’t have survived without us.  The reality is: this may be true!  But who are you trying to impress?  God ...or man?  Because if it’s man, then it’s not God.  And if it’s not God, once you have your recognition, approbation and applause, guess what?  You also have your reward— cf. Matthew 6:1-4.

HJC	Ric Webb  |  Shepherd Heart’s Journey Community 9621 Tall Timber Blvd. |  Little Rock, AR 72204 t +1.501.455.0296
hjcommunity.org
Heart’s Journey – Live Generously and Love Graciously