"Surely you have heard about the administration of God's grace that was given to me for you, that is, the mystery made known to me by revelation, as I have already written briefly."  Ephesians 3:2-3

I don't even remotely comprehend grace.

I understand some of it's implications and benefits though.  God's grace in saving me when I was dead in my transgressions and sins (Eph.2:1-10).  God's grace in the way He condescends to speak to me in ways that I can understand.  God's grace in the way that He disciplines me (ever thought about that?  How does God treat us with such love, compassion, and graciousness when we do the stupid things we are sometimes apt to do?  You would think that at some point He would "accidentally" blow our head off of our shoulders with one small leak of Almighty power.....yet, He doesn't......at least not yet).  There is no end to discussing His grace in our lives because every expression of who we are is an expression of His grace.  Our possessions, relationships, freedom, mind, bodies, vocations, skill-sets, etc. are all expressions of His grace.  Really, we could talk endlessly about His grace.

What happens when we talk about grace is that we focus the primary attention on how God's grace has impacted us personally.  There is everything right and good about this - it testifies to the glory of God when we talk about the expressions of His grace in our lives.  I think it is a pleasant sound to God when His children speak in awed tones about His indescribable grace.

But there is another aspect to grace that is equally magnificent.  It is the reality that God gives us grace for others.

In Paul's case, he noted that the mystery of the revelation of what God was doing in and through this newly birthed "Church" was actually grace given to Paul for others to receive benefit.  I wonder if what held true for Paul holds true for us - that God gives us grace at times that is not primarily for us; instead, it is for service to others.

It seems like that holds true when we talk about spiritual gifts (where the root word for gifts, "charis", means "grace").  Paul said that we have been given gifts of grace that are for the common good (note 1 Corinthians 12:7).  It also holds true when God shows us the grace of comfort after we have been through a particularly difficult experience or tragedy.  Though that grace was for us in our time of need (thankfully), it is also intended for those who will need it in the future (2 Corinthians 1:3-7).  How about the grace of God in His material provision for us (like money)?  Well, Paul tells his protege Timothy that he should command those rich in this present world to share with those in need and live generously and full of grace (note 1 Timothy 6:17-19).  In other words, the grace God gives us isn't just for us - it is also for others.

This truth really spoke to me this morning as I was reading Ephesians 3.  And I guess the reason it resonated so loudly was because it was a sound that I have grown to know and love through the years.....the sound of the voice of Jesus (the One, according to John 1:14, Who is full of grace and truth).  He modeled what it looked like to embody grace, and then to give it away to others like me and you.

The cross is proof enough. 

"Love and faithfulness keep a king safe; through love his throne is made secure."  Proverbs 20:28

As I type in my office, the television behind me is broadcasting all the sights and sounds from our nation's capital.  It is a day that is always one of the most covered events in our nation every 4, or 8, years because it is a day that sets a new administration in place, led by a new President of the United States.  Today, Senator Obama becomes President Obama.

The history of this event is not lost on most in this nation.  The first African-American President ever elected in the history of the United States is taking office, and for many, fulfilling a dream that was born in hearts of ages past and articulated by the likes of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.  Whether or not the election of President Obama signals the will of a nation that judges someone by the content of their character rather than the color of their skin might still be up for debate.  What cannot be debated, however, is the dream of many inching closer to reality - even if it is not fully realized as yet.  The hope for racial reconciliation in the United States simply could never fully happen until there exists a time that the President of the United States is of color.  That time has come.

Now, African-American boys and girls can look at reality and actuality instead of continually being told of "possibility."  Now, African-Americans in this country can genuinely believe that a "change is gonna come" because a dream has become a reality.  Whatever one's thought on the nature of our new President's policies, it is hard for anyone to deny the inspiration this day brings - if not simply for the narrative itself.  I find myself inspired as well, though I am at odds with some of the new President's policies (not the least of which is his stance on abortion and embryonic stem-cell research..........although I must admit that some of the other "life" issues [war, poverty, care for the elderly, etc.] he does look at more holistically and I am appreciative of that).

With that said, I was praying for the President this morning - as the Scripture teaches us to do.  I was also reading Proverbs today and was reminded that for rulers of nations (kings, Presidents, etc.), God calls for love, faithfulness, and righteousness.  Whatever your political leaning, may I ask you to join me in praying for our new President?

That God would grant him wisdom.

That God would lead him in the paths of righteousness. 

That God would use him to inspire generations and ethnicities toward love, faithfulness, and righteousness.

And that God would use this moment to bring healing to our nation, and our world, in ways that can't be measured in dollars.

"To the Jews who had believed him, Jesus said, 'If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples.  Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free'."  John 8:31-32

Sometimes just understanding what it means to be a disciple of Jesus is tough.  It's not that difficult of a concept really, and most of us have a basic understanding of what a "disciple" is, but it still seems hard sometimes to actually figure out what that looks like for us. 

For many, the idea of being a disciple of Jesus has to do with the "spiritual" things we do - reading the Bible, praying, attending worship with a community of believers, etc.  I think that these things definitely have something to do with being a disciple - but they are certainly not all there is to it.

Maybe some would conclude that it is a heart matter to be a disciple - that we need to be prepared to die for Jesus if necessary.  That we will go anywhere, do anything, and take any risk that we feel that Jesus has asked of us - this is what it means to be a disciple for some.  I can agree with that.  I'm pretty sure that "taking up your cross" means more than eating your cousin's meatloaf at Thanksgiving.  But, still seems that something's missing.

What I think is missing in most of our conceptions of what a "disciple" of Jesus really looks like is this - the mundane.  The everyday.  The minute by minute of life.  The ordinary.  I know, it's not the sexy part of discipleship is it?  But it is the core of it.

I will forever be marked by the thoughts of Dallas Willard in his book The Divine Conspiracy.  He boiled discipleship down to this thought:  How would Jesus live YOUR life were he you?

Try that one on.  Go ahead....I'll wait.

Ok, if you thought about that statement, then you would have to go to the normal, mundane activities of your everyday, workaday life.  Assumed in that statement is that God made you and placed you right where He wants you.  In the neighborhood, in the job, in the college class, in the PLACE He wants you.  So, what does that look like?  Well, ask the question:

How would Jesus do my job, were He me?

How would Jesus love my spouse, were He me?

How would Jesus do my school work, were He me?  (added bonus here, if Jesus were you I would bank on you being valedictorian).

You can figure it out from here.  So often we have looked at discipleship as how we get rid of our ordinary, mundane lives so that we can be "more like Jesus."  But that is where we miss it.  Where Jesus really shows Himself is precisely IN our ordinary, mundane lives - in the neighborhood, at work, at school, out shopping (though I can't speak for Jesus on this one, I'm pretty sure He didn't like shopping....or maybe I'm just hoping that to be the case so I can say that I am more like Him).

So, think about this and let it sink in:  How would Jesus live YOUR LIFE were He you?