Don’t Waste the Grace
by Jon Walker

«As God's fellow workers we urge you not to receive God's grace in vain.» (2 Corinthians 6:1, NIV)

Have you ever wanted to quit being a Christian? Or at least just get away from God’s commands for a while? If you have, you’re in good company – Jonah and Jeremiah come quickly to mind.

God gives us grace sufficient for our needs each day, and He gives us that grace every day. In 2 Corinthians 6:1, Paul, in effect, says, don’t waste the grace God has given you. He says don’t receive God’s grace «in vain» – rejecting it in order to nurture frustrations and disappointments.

In The Message, Eugene Peterson paraphrases the Corinthian passage by saying we’re to stay at our posts, alert and unswerving, because «our work as God’s servants gets validated — or not — in the details» of our lives.

In other words, the very power of God – the very strength we need, the very testimony we were meant to model – emerges in troubles, hardships, and distresses (2 Cor. 6:4).

Let’s pray together that we stay at our posts in these uncertain times and not waste the grace God has given us.

What now?

· Receive God’s grace now – For God says … «‘In the time of my favor I heard you, and in the day of salvation I helped you.’ I tell you, now is the time of God's favor, now is the day of salvation.» (2 Corinthians 6:2, NIV)

· Accept that life is hard – There will be some difficult times in your Christian walk. God won’t necessarily take you out of them, but he’ll always walk you through them. (2 Cor. 6:4-10)

· Squandered? – What do you think of when you think of squandering God’s grace? 2 Corinthians 6:1 (MSG): «Companions as we are in this work with you, we beg you, please don't squander one bit of this marvelous life God has given us.»

· Validation – How is your life validated by staying at your post? In the details of being a servant? (2 Corinthians 6:4 (MSG): «Our work as God's servants gets validated – or not – in the details. People are watching us as we stay at our post, alertly, unswervingly … in hard times, tough times, bad times ….»

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© 2007 Jon Walker. All rights reserved