Grace is more than effort
You’ve likely heard these definitions of grace:
Grace = unmerited favor
In simpler terms:
Grace = getting what you don’t deserve
Or applied biblically:
Grace = a gift from God
While I like each of these definitions for what they offer, I’d like to present a slightly different definition:
Grace = more than effort
I’ll come back to that. First, let me explain the motivation and inspiration behind it.
December 18th is my father’s birthday. As a sort of tribute, I wanted to write about what he’s taught me. I struggled as I considered what to write though.
I’ve known my father my whole life. And he’s been teaching me for as long as I can remember. How could I choose only one lesson to highlight?
To make it simpler, I decided to share what he taught me most recently at the time of this writing. Enter the grace definition. I’ll repeat it in a slightly different form:
Grace exceeds effort
The topic came up on the last night of a Ten Commandment study. We were discussing the ninth commandment, which, as you recall, says,
“You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.” – Exodus 20:16
What should we support instead?
Tongues of grace
“Let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth, but what is good for necessary edification, that it may impart grace to the hearers.” – Ephesians 4:29
Thus was born the discussion of grace, specifically what grace means.
That’s when my father offered…
“Grace is more than effort.”
How he came to that conclusion (in my words)
What comes to mind when you hear the word ‘graceful’?
I think of a swan or a ballet dancer – something in motion, fluid, smooth. What’s in common here?
Consider a task you enjoy, say cooking a meal or building a birdhouse. How do you complete a task like that?
When I write an article for example, part of it is a result of pure effort. I try to (mostly) follow conventional grammar rules. That’s all effort. I could do that even if I hated writing.
Part of the article isn’t effort though. If I didn’t enjoy writing, these articles would lack something. Part of the article is a result of my interest in them.
It’s similar with the swan or ballet dancer. They aren’t graceful because of the effort they put into what they do. They are graceful because of the ease and skill of how they perform.
Gracefulness is simply a part of the swan – there’s no effort involved. Same with the ballet dancer. They enjoy what they do and grace is the result.
Think of examples in your life. What are you interested in? What do you do that’s a part of you? What do you enjoy?
Whatever it is you enjoy, the product is more than effort.
Another example…
My dad likes to repair/modify guitars and amplifiers. He’s good at it, but more than that, he enjoys it. He could still get the job done if he didn’t enjoy it, but it wouldn’t be the same. Again, the product is a result of enjoyment, not just effort.
That’s what makes something graceful. That’s what grace is.
Now let’s apply this biblically. God’s grace is simply a part of Him, like the smooth feathers of the swan or the fluid steps of the dancer. It’s His character. Grace involves God’s effort, but more than that, it involves God’s love.
Because grace is more than effort
That’s what my father taught me – a simple yet often forgotten lesson.
God gave us His son because He loves us. It required a huge sacrifice for God. It required His only Son. That’s effort.
But more than that, it required God’s love for us. In that sense, it was effortless because that is a part of God’s character. That’s what makes it grace.
Why does this matter for us?
Two reasons I’d like to offer:
1) God loves us. We say that and preach it and teach it and wear it and put it on our tracks for everyone else to see. But do we know that? Do we know God’s love? I hope this definition of grace is a reminder of God’s amazing love for us.
2) How do we show grace toward others? My attempts at grace tend toward the effort-only side. But grace isn’t effort only. Grace requires enjoyment.
Final note: This was the fastest I’ve written an article for bondChristian – and it shows. I went for 80% effect with only 20% effort. I enjoyed writing it too.
Let me know if anything’s completely fuzzy. I’ll try to explain in the comments.
I’m spending the rest of the evening with Pop.
Serving Suggestions:
(1) Show grace toward others. Make it your character rather than your effort. To do this, you might consider some of suggestions on interested action, interested conversation, or one of the many ways you can show you love for Jesus.
(2) Learn from your parents. They’re probably brilliant.