Should will tell you God is cruel to the unfaithful.
Grace will tell you God’s acceptance of you and affections for you has nothing to do with your ability to be faithful. You are his beloved precisely because He is faithful, not you. He loves you even when you are embarrassingly unfaithful.
God can’t help himself. It’s just who He is.
The more we come to realize the depth of God’s love and the breadth of his grace, the more we will find in ourselves a growing desire to be obedient while at the same time a strange freedom to be at peace with each and every one of our failed attempts at it.
What a scandal grace is.
If we will let it, grace will free us to put a stop to all of the should-ing once and for all. If we will listen, grace will indeed beckon us to an altogether different way.
Should says “Go faster.”
Grace says “Slow down.”
Should says “Get busy and hustle like everyone else.”
Grace says “Come away with me to a quiet place and rest a while.”
Should says “You’d better bring your ‘A’ game.”
Grace says “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.”
Should says “Do whatever you need to do. You must win at whatever cost.”
Grace says “Because Jesus has succeeded for you, you are free to fail.”
Should says “There is so much to do there’s no time for rest.”
Grace says “Come to me all who are weary and heavy burdened, and I will give you rest.”
Should puts on our back a burden so heavy it will inevitably crush us.
Grace says “Take my yoke upon you for it is easy and my burden is light.”
Should says “You’re not doing enough.”
Grace says “Is is finished. Enough already.”
Today my prayer is that you will make the choice to end your toxic relationship with should once and for all, and that you will instead look deeply into the wonder of the gospel and the mystery of God’s grace and find rest for your soul there.
