Brokenness and Grace
Brokenness surrounds me. Brokenness is also in me.
I call myself a double agent, living in two worlds at the local college. I am a student. I am an instructor. Most of my time is dedicated to learning. Accounting. Business Communications. Computers. Economics. My neurons are firing at maximum capacity. I sincerely hope my brain will adapt to the intensity of information being thrown my way.
However, the element I failed to anticipate as I interact with classmates and students (who are all younger than me, I'd like to add) is the brokenness intertwined in people's stories. Several students are divorced, single moms, struggling to parent and keep up with their homework. Many of the international students are burdened with low finances. They are also trying to rapidly adapt to a different method of higher education. Others are trying their best to understand the concepts while competing with others. People either assert their dominance by touting their marks or suppress their inferiority by cursing their perceived stupidity (or somewhere in between).
And the language -- oh my word -- the language! I have heard more f-bombs this month than the entire year prior.
In many ways, I am an anomaly. I am a Christian with fairly conservative social values. I am happily married. The financial burden of my tuition was covered by a scholarship and a small teaching contract. I am content with my achievement (and I rather keep it to myself). And I don't swear (much).
Does the above description make me better than others? Does it increase my superiority and righteousness? Does it magnify my worth in the eyes of God?
No. No. And definitely no.
My one classmate commented on my calmness and positive attitude in the face of academic challenge. I chuckled and said, "Well, you don't see me at home when I freak out and complain." Then I added, "I am a recovering perfectionist. I am learning grace."
Here is the difficult part: our society's brokenness is perceived as normal. It is normal to have serious issues in your marriage (and possibly be on to your next nuptials). It is normal to live on credit. It is normal to feel better about yourself at the expense of others. It is normal to swear a blue streak at any moment of the day.
Our society is becoming more and more secular. We are deleting God out of the equation. Thus, we continue to pick the forbidden fruit off the proverbial tree while wondering why we feel so empty inside. Instead of running back to God, we keep putting on fig leaves to hide our shame. We socially construct our morality refusing the guide of a divine standard of perfection. Plus, we vehemently protest against those who dare to state that we are wrong.
At cursory glance, my life seems pretty put together. Yet, I know that all the "good" that I am is due to God's unmerited favor. True, I have also made several good choices that have brought me to this point in my life. But these choices are a result of wise guidance of elders and yes -- the Bible! It is my divine standard of perfection.
Children, cherish the Bible. Love it. Read it. Memorize it. Believe it. God's Word is the Fount of Life! It is filled with healing, albeit difficult, truths that will bring salve to your brokenness! This Bible, which is being labelled by our society as archaic and inflammatory, is God's story of salvation to bring back humanity to Him. Yes, His Words asks us to live contrary to our society. Yes, His Words reveal our sin and brokenness and sh*t. Yes, His Words compel us to live in holiness to a standard that is impossible to achieve. And YES, God sent His son Jesus to die for us to become our perfection (if we accept) by His unmerited, loving favour on broken humanity. This is GRACE. This is supposed to be God's beautiful intent for us. He wants to walk in the garden with us again!
I call myself a double agent, living in two worlds at the local college. I am a member of our secular society. I am a beloved child in the Kingdom of Heaven. Most of my time is dedicated to rubbing shoulders with humanity. My family and friends. My classmates. My students. My spirit is praying at maximum capacity. I sincerely hope my heart will adapt to the intensity of emotions being thrown my way.
Thus I remember: Grace surrounds me. God's Grace is in me.
I call myself a double agent, living in two worlds at the local college. I am a student. I am an instructor. Most of my time is dedicated to learning. Accounting. Business Communications. Computers. Economics. My neurons are firing at maximum capacity. I sincerely hope my brain will adapt to the intensity of information being thrown my way.
However, the element I failed to anticipate as I interact with classmates and students (who are all younger than me, I'd like to add) is the brokenness intertwined in people's stories. Several students are divorced, single moms, struggling to parent and keep up with their homework. Many of the international students are burdened with low finances. They are also trying to rapidly adapt to a different method of higher education. Others are trying their best to understand the concepts while competing with others. People either assert their dominance by touting their marks or suppress their inferiority by cursing their perceived stupidity (or somewhere in between).
And the language -- oh my word -- the language! I have heard more f-bombs this month than the entire year prior.
In many ways, I am an anomaly. I am a Christian with fairly conservative social values. I am happily married. The financial burden of my tuition was covered by a scholarship and a small teaching contract. I am content with my achievement (and I rather keep it to myself). And I don't swear (much).
Does the above description make me better than others? Does it increase my superiority and righteousness? Does it magnify my worth in the eyes of God?
No. No. And definitely no.
My one classmate commented on my calmness and positive attitude in the face of academic challenge. I chuckled and said, "Well, you don't see me at home when I freak out and complain." Then I added, "I am a recovering perfectionist. I am learning grace."
Here is the difficult part: our society's brokenness is perceived as normal. It is normal to have serious issues in your marriage (and possibly be on to your next nuptials). It is normal to live on credit. It is normal to feel better about yourself at the expense of others. It is normal to swear a blue streak at any moment of the day.
Our society is becoming more and more secular. We are deleting God out of the equation. Thus, we continue to pick the forbidden fruit off the proverbial tree while wondering why we feel so empty inside. Instead of running back to God, we keep putting on fig leaves to hide our shame. We socially construct our morality refusing the guide of a divine standard of perfection. Plus, we vehemently protest against those who dare to state that we are wrong.
At cursory glance, my life seems pretty put together. Yet, I know that all the "good" that I am is due to God's unmerited favor. True, I have also made several good choices that have brought me to this point in my life. But these choices are a result of wise guidance of elders and yes -- the Bible! It is my divine standard of perfection.
Children, cherish the Bible. Love it. Read it. Memorize it. Believe it. God's Word is the Fount of Life! It is filled with healing, albeit difficult, truths that will bring salve to your brokenness! This Bible, which is being labelled by our society as archaic and inflammatory, is God's story of salvation to bring back humanity to Him. Yes, His Words asks us to live contrary to our society. Yes, His Words reveal our sin and brokenness and sh*t. Yes, His Words compel us to live in holiness to a standard that is impossible to achieve. And YES, God sent His son Jesus to die for us to become our perfection (if we accept) by His unmerited, loving favour on broken humanity. This is GRACE. This is supposed to be God's beautiful intent for us. He wants to walk in the garden with us again!
I call myself a double agent, living in two worlds at the local college. I am a member of our secular society. I am a beloved child in the Kingdom of Heaven. Most of my time is dedicated to rubbing shoulders with humanity. My family and friends. My classmates. My students. My spirit is praying at maximum capacity. I sincerely hope my heart will adapt to the intensity of emotions being thrown my way.
Thus I remember: Grace surrounds me. God's Grace is in me.