Administering Grace

The apostle Paul in writing to the Ephesians said, 

"Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, 

but that which is good to the use of edifying, 

that it may minister grace unto the hearers" 

(Eph. 4:29). 

We usually read that and think, "Oh, I should only speak good words to others."

But who hears every single word you utter?

You do! You are the major hearer of everything you say. 

This means that by watching what we say and making sure it is edifying, we minister grace to ourselves as well as others. So I am going to think more about the words that proceed out of my mouth plus, I'm going to think more about the words that swim around in my head. 

Because I need all the grace (enabling power) I can get!

More Grace

I have to thank Janet for her comment yesterday on grace. She suggested a talk by Brad Wilcox on grace that I hadn’t read. It was given at BYU just a few weeks ago while I was in Palmyra and so I missed it. I read it and just as she said, it is fantastic. I love his analogy of grace being like piano practice!

So today I am urging all of you to click on this link and read this talk. 

Grace is enabling power and we all need to understand it and use it!

Accept the Grace

One of the most important messages of the Good News is that all we have to do is our best. We are mortals living in a sphere of opposition and that means we are going to be constantly making mistakes and failing to do all that we want and hope to do. It just isn’t possible. Our intentions will always far surpass our abilities. But the Good News is that if through all the trials and experiences we do the best we can Jesus Christ has promised to do the rest. That is grace. And we need it.

Accepting the grace offered is where we often get in trouble. Instead of looking in the mirror after we’ve made a mistake and saying, “I did the very best I could. I’ve learned from this. Now I’ll move on trusting in the grace of God.” We too often spend weeks or months or even years beating ourselves with whips made out of thoughts of inadequacy and regret. Berating ourselves like that is the Pit of Illusion and it is unnecessary pain. 

The very reason Jesus Christ performed an Atonement for us is because He knew we could not do it on our own. We need His grace. So beating ourselves up is a form of denial and a refusal to accept what He is offering us. It is turning our backs on Jesus Christ and refusing His help—His grace.

Accepting His grace is Living in Truth where peace, happiness and love abound.

My Super Power

I overheard my grandson, Eli, talking one day about his super power. I think he had been watching one of the super hero movies and had decided that he, too, had secret powers. Shortly after that my grown children were talking about what super power they would like if they could have one. One wanted to be invisible. One wanted to fly. One wanted super strength. They all had their reasons and laughed their way through a delightful conversation. But having super power, isn’t too very far from the Truth when you understand the Good News of the gospel of Jesus Christ.

The dictionary defines grace as “unmerited divine assistance given humans for their regeneration or sanctification.” In my own “earthy words” that means God gives us power to change so that we can return to him even though we don’t deserve it. Technically grace is God’s power, but lovingly He gives it to us if we want it and seek after it.

We learn more about grace in the definition found in the Bible Dictionary, it says that grace “is an enabling power.” Often, in today’s world, we only talk about enabling in a negative way when we describe spouses or parents or friends enabling negative behavior. But enable means “to provide with the means or opportunity” and that is what God does for us in a very positive way. He provides us with the means and opportunity to become like Him. But that isn’t all. He provides us with the power to do what needs to be done right here and right now (whatever that is!). Now that is Super Power—not fantasy but real life Superpower that is available to anyone who follows the path of righteousness.

Peace Like A River

I’ve always been intrigued with the promise found in Isaiah 66:12 “For thus saith the LORD, Behold, I will extend peace to her like a river…” The reason this interests me is because most rivers aren’t peaceful. Oh, once in awhile you see a slow, easy flowing river, but for the most part rivers travel downhill and that means rapids and currents and crashing into rocks, trees and other debris encountered along the way. This made me wonder what the Lord meant by “peace like a river.”

Then it occurred to me that what I am seeing is only the surface of the water. And what the eye beholds is not all that exists. Especially in a deep river, underneath the bubbly, rolling surface the waters are peaceful. There the fish swim in calm waters. Underneath the rapids there is tranquility like what is found under the giant waves of the sea.

There is a beautiful analogy here. When we Live in Truth life “bubbles” around us with stresses and worries. The busy current of life is fraught with dire situations and adversity. But when we live in Truth there is peace at our core and that peace provides power and energy to strengthen our resolves and a calm that guides us through the bustling activity on the outside.

After discovering this metaphor, I was delighted one day to find an album by one of my favorite artists, Christopher Parkening, entitled Grace Like A River that is a wonderful Truth Tool. Parkening is a classical guitarist and the songs on this album help us remember that the peace of the river and the peace within us is a gift, it is the enabling power or grace of God. Of course I bought the album and every time I play it I experience more delight as I remember the metaphor of the river and feel Parkening’s music convey grace and love into the very marrow of my bone to increase the peace that flows deep within.

The Power Source

We often hear people say that in order to help others we must first fill our own well. It makes sense. If you have no water in the well, you can’t offer anyone a drink. Unless you first study the scriptures, you can’t teach them.

But the metaphor of filling the well is a little deceiving. It gives the impression that we have to be constantly concerned about ourselves and doing things for ourselves in order to fill the well. It gives a subconscious picture of us as always frantically searching and filling for fear of running dry. Some even use this metaphor as a pretext for self indulgence. Their attitude is something like: “I’ve got to do this for myself or I won’t be happy and if I’m not happy I can’t make anyone else happy!” But in 2 Corinthians 9:8 we read, “God is able to make all grace abound toward you; that ye, always having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work.”

What this verse is telling us is that a better metaphor than the well is a metaphor of electricity. What we need to do to help others is not to fill our well, but to plug into the right source, Jesus Christ. Once we do that by repenting, obeying Him, and trusting in Him then we are connected to Him and His grace flows through us to bless others. His grace, or enabling power, isn’t something that runs dry and needs to be replaced. Instead it flows constantly, and as long as we remain worthy the power source is turned on and is available.

If we “plug” into the source, we will never run dry! We will always have enough to sustain ourselves and plenty left over to offer to others.

My Staff and My Stay

On this Sabbath Eve, I’ve been thinking a lot about something Isaiah once said. In Isaiah 3:1 he says, “For, behold, the Lord, the Lord of hosts, doth take away from Jerusalem and from Judah the stay and the staff, the whole stay of bread, and the whole stay of water.” The words staff and stay in the Hebrew mean support. So Isaiah is prophesying that the impending war will take away from the people the life sustaining support of food and water.

It is easy to read that verse and think of it as a historical fact that came to pass and has no relevance to us in our day. But there is a metaphorical meaning that is powerful here. Bread and water in our day make up the Sacrament, and if we partake of the Sacrament with real intent and worthily, it is our support, our staff and stay. When we take the Sacrament with real intent we renew our baptismal covenants and promise to do better in the coming week than we did in the preceding week. We implement the Atonement in our lives. In so doing we are strengthened and supported in our efforts to gradually become better and better people.

But if we partake half-heartedly or unworthily, the Sacrament will not be a support in our lives. The Lord will take away our staff and stay and we will be left on our own with no support.

Tomorrow as I take the Sacrament I think I’ll imagine that staff being handed to me to help support me through the week. I’ll imagine it in my hand. I’ll imagine depending on it for support. And then I’ll remember my imaginary staff that is the grace of God all week and watch for the many ways it supports me.

Jesus is the Christ

I really appreciate the comments you have been leaving. I like the scriptures and words of the prophets you have added. And several of you have been very kind in attributing strength to me. But I can’t take the credit nor can I let anyone think that this is all about me. I have a multitude of faults and shortcomings. Too many to catalog here! It isn’t me that is strong or wonderful. It is the gospel of Jesus Christ that gives strength and is wonderful. This isn’t about me. This is about Jesus Christ—the source, the strength, the power. Anyone and everyone who keeps their eyes on Him and trusts in Him will triumph.

As Lehi begins his parting advice to his son Jacob, he says two things that are very applicable here. First he tells Jacob that the Savior will consecrate all Jacob’s afflictions for his gain. Jacob was a very good man, but it was the Savior, not Jacob, who turned all those afflictions into blessings. (See 2 Nephi 2:2). The second thing Lehi told Jacob is that he knew Jacob would be saved, “because of the righteousness of thy Redeemer” (2 Nephi 2:3). Again, Jacob was a good man, but redemption comes through the grace of Jesus Christ not because we do anything spectacular.

Every single one of us struggles with afflictions, faults, temptations, and mistakes. But every single one of us can be redeemed because of the righteousness of our Redeemer. He is Wonderful. He is my Strength. He is Life and Love. He is Light and Truth and the Way. Don’t give me any credit. It is Jesus Christ we all need to thank.