Big June, Big Grace [TMP #100]
Grace + Books!
Finally, we have the 100th post! š„³
A long time coming fr but I am happy about this because i.) consistency, albeit fractured, and ii.) I started this blog without a long-term plan. Itās turning out great.š
Without further ado,
At a glance:
Grace
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Big June, Big Grace
A couple of unintentional insights on the meaning of grace and now we have a mini essay. I would have titled this āGraceā but Big June, Big Grace did a better job of describing a rolling understanding without sounding pretentious. Here we go:
prologue
I've come to the point where I believe that berating myself is self-inflicted punishment. In my head, if I feel guilty or remorseful about doing something I know God isn't a fan of, Iād need an eternity to feel the right level of remorse because God is big like that. Iād realized that my guilt, remorse and related emotions were my form of penance.
penance (noun)
a punishment inflicted on oneself as an outward expression of repentance for wrongdoing.
After three days of emotional punishment, I'd remember what I knew about grace: that Jesus died for me, knew I'd act this way, and gave His perfection to me so I don't have to bother with mine. Then, I'd be back to normal. Who says three days are enough?
In June though, the concept of grace became bigger than guilt, condemnation, and the ticket to emotional rest.
one
First, āgraceā started to mean the strength to (do the) work and the strength to win. The race is not to the swiftest is a quote that lives forever in my brain. The full quote is a Bible verse that says:
āI have observed something else under the sun. The fastest runner doesnāt always win the race, and the strongest warrior doesnāt always win the battle. The wise sometimes go hungry, and the skillful are not necessarily wealthy. And those who are educated donāt always lead successful lives. It is all decided by chance, by being in the right place at the right time.ā
I do not think I am the smartest in a room and I do not have to be. Looking through the lens of grace here means my intelligence is a gift and honing that intelligence so I'm well-positioned to get a result is a process to master, enjoy, and be grateful for. Doing the work is a thing of grace, and chief of all, getting the desired result is a gift. Many do the work and don't get the result.
two
I stewed on that for two weeks before the definition of grace returned to my Christian roots. This time, grace meant God's radical kindness to make the criteria for righteousness a belief in the work of Jesus.
Like I am judged free of sin, not condemned simply because I believe that Jesus died for me and I now wear Christ's own righteousness? Like it was never about my works, whether in sin or righteous living, because it begins and ends with God? Holy Shit!
'We Jews know that we have no advantage of birth over ānon-Jewish sinners.ā We know very well that we are not set right with God by rule-keeping but only through personal faith in Jesus Christ. How do we know? We tried itāand we had the best system of rules the world has ever seen! Convinced that no human being can please God by self-improvement, we believed in Jesus as the Messiah so that we might be set right before God by trusting in the Messiah, not by trying to be good.' Galatians 2:15
At the time, I was reading Galatians; became astonished and concluded that I had the faintest idea of what grace meant, as in I had not even begun to know. So, I picked a book to understand this great thing called Grace. Itās titled In The Grip of Grace: Your Father Always Caught You by Max Lucado. A good thang, you guys!
In July now though, grace looks like the strength I need to live this life trusting the Son of God.
In growing understanding,
Dayo :)
ps: thatās how I let imposter syndrome + procrastination stop me from posting in June when Iāve had this draft since May š¤¦š¾āāļø
Book Club š
I finished The Simple Path to Wealth in May and would not write a review about it. Why? Itās a how-to about stocks? The main point was that stocks are the preferred instrument for wealth. No much convincing needed for me there. Besides that, it was enlightening how money managers make profits and their negative long-term impact on cherished investments, why index funds are the best choice, and how to think through withdrawal rates.
In June, I read Iron Widow because Chinese mythology + fantasy. It turned out to be a waste of time. It had elements of potential but nah, not my cup of tea.
Now, Iām reading In the Grip of Grace: Your Father Always Caught You by Max Lucado. :)) I also started City of Brass by S. A. Chakraborty. Itās fantasy and bonus points because itās inspired by Middle Eastern folklore!
Thank you for sharing this, Dayo. Grace truly transforms my entire perspective on life and how it should be lived. I hope everyone comes to understand it as deeply as you have.
I'm glad it resonates with you :))