Embracing God's Grace: Letting God Be God in Our Story

The grace of God doesn’t paint us in a more flattering light

“The gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable." - Romans 11:29 (NRSV)

Have you ever tried to take control of a situation that seemed beyond your grasp? Perhaps you've, only to watch it unfold in a completely different way. It's a humbling experience, isn't it? Yet, in the midst of life's twists and turns, we often find a deeper truth—God's grace shines brightest when we allow God to be God in our story.

In Romans 11, the apostle Paul addresses the theological question: What is God's plan for Israel, and what role do the Gentiles play in this divine narrative? Paul's response is nothing short of transformative. He declares that God's gifts and call are irrevocable. God's love and grace extend to all, encompassing both Jews and Gentiles. This inclusivity challenges our human tendencies to categorize, exclude, and control.

In our daily lives, we often attempt to script our stories, presenting ourselves in the best possible light. We paint a picture where we are the heroes, seeking to shape the narrative to our liking. We make ourselves who we want to be rather than who we are at that moment. Our desire for control can lead us away from the profound truth of grace. It is easy to forget that we are not the authors of our own salvation; we are recipients of God's unmerited favor.

Dietrich Bonhoeffer, a renowned theologian, coined the term "cheap grace" to describe our inclination to bestow grace upon ourselves without truly understanding its depth and cost. When we embrace cheap grace, we inadvertently create God in our image, limiting the divine narrative to our desires and expectations. But Bonhoeffer reminds us that grace is costly. It beckons us to follow Christ, offering forgiveness to broken spirits and contrite hearts.

Rev. Fleming Rutledge, in her book The Crucifixion, highlights the magnitude of God's grace, emphasizing that God's story is the story of salvation. Rev. Rutledge writes that we are recipients of grace, not its source. This realization calls us to relinquish our attempts to control the narrative. Instead, we should welcome the transformative power of grace in our lives.

Grace is not concerned with painting us in a more flattering light; it is concerned with revealing the truth of who we are. We may try to gloss over the messy, mixed-up aspects of our lives or forget our past mistakes, but through grace, God confronts those very elements. God forgives, sanctifies, and transforms us into instruments of God's faithfulness throughout time and among diverse people.

The story of salvation, as described by Paul, is not about us exerting control or crafting a narrative that suits our preferences. It is about yielding to God's unchanging love and grace. God's plan transcends human boundaries and includes all who seek redemption. This divine narrative invites us to let go of our illusions of control and, instead, allow God to be God.

As we embrace this truth, we become co-participants in a divine story that extends far beyond our limited understanding. Our stories, once self-centered, now become God-centered. We are no longer the authors but the characters, living testaments to the boundless grace of our Creator.