Thursday, May 9, 2024

When I was about six years old, my dad offered to pay me and my brother $2.00 each if we could fill our buckets with sticks from the backyard. I remember running around as fast as I could, picking up all the sticks before my little brother could grab them. I wasn’t going to stop until I pleased my dad and earned my money!

Many of us work to gain God’s love. However, Jesus paid the price to set us free. He endured the suffering we deserve. He bought the ticket that allows us to be near God. We can do nothing to earn that—it’s a free gift.

Ephesians 2:8
God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God.

Just because Jesus has covered us with grace doesn’t mean we should wait around for heaven to show up. On the contrary, we now have an incredible purpose laid out before us! In the words of Dallas Willard, “Grace is not opposed to effort, it is opposed to earning.”

Ephesians 5:2
Live a life filled with love, following the example of Christ. He loved us and offered himself as a sacrifice for us, a pleasing aroma to God.

Filled with the love of Christ, we have the opportunity to pour out that love for others. We have the chance to bring other people into God’s family. It isn’t a chore we have to accomplish to earn God’s favor, but an adventure we are called to partake in.

I remember feeling so proud when I filled that bucket to the brim with sticks and my dad handed me those two, $1.00 bills. My brother only finished with a handful of mulch and tree bark at the bottom of his bucket, but Dad paid him $2.00 as well. I was indignant! How was that fair?

You see, my dad paid us the same amount because he wanted each of us to do our best and be proud of what we accomplished together. He never expected perfection.

The same is true of our Heavenly Father. God isn’t holding eternity over our heads, like a reward for getting things right. Instead, he is calling us into the business of changing lives. There is nothing better than helping someone experience God!

Questions:
When are you tempted to work hard to earn God’s grace? What is one thing you can do to pour God’s love out to the people around you this week?

Next Steps:
Make a list of people in your life who God is inviting you to love. Write down ways that you can serve them this week: bake them a batch of cookies, invite them out for coffee, or offer to help weed their flower beds.

Go through GrowthTrack and learn about your God-given gifts and passions. Find a place to serve, and watch God use you to make a difference. If you have already gone through GrowthTrack, ask God if there is a different way he wants to use you in this new season of life.

Prayer:
Father, sometimes I forget that your grace is a free gift. Please remind me of that when I am tempted to earn your love. Help me to hear your invitation to love others, and let my heart respond, “Lord, I am coming!” (Psalm 27:8). I love you. Amen.

Series Theme Verse:

Romans 6:14
Sin is no longer your master, for you no longer live under the requirements of the law. Instead, you live under the freedom of God’s grace.

This post was written by Lydia Snyder, a regular contributor to the LivingItOut Devotional.