“But by the grace of God, I am what I am: and his grace which was bestowed upon me was not found vain; but I labored more abundantly than they all; yet not I but the grace of God which is with me.
1 Corinthians 15:10
American Standard Version
Paul’s letters almost always begin with an expression of grace to his readers. It’s easy just to think this some sort of elaborate ‘hello,’ but looking at his life, we realise Paul had a very intimate and impacted relationship with the Lord through just these everyday, almost unnoticed by the modern reader, words.
I wad struck by today’s verse as I read it. If Paul; thus me and you, are what we are by the grace of God, then the other edge must cut too. We are also NOT what we are NOT, by the same grace. That’s a sobering thought.
If that’s true, then there is no reason or possible good to come from comparing our selves with anyone else. The best we can hope to be is the best version of God’s grace- bestowed, poured out abundantly-upon ourselves. That’s his highest call and choice for each of us.
Vain, above, caught my attention. It’s frightening that grace could be found to have been bestowed in vain, or void, as the margin says here. You’d think that God’s poured out grace was always sufficient, but from Pauls own case, we realise that sufficiency requires us to accept grace in faith, and then for us to begin to work with it. Or, more perfectly, let it work in us-then it organically begins to work through us- producing fruit.
Our verse clearly illustrates that God’s grace must be received, but Paul’s thought isn’t left there. Grace, must be worked with, and evidently grace may require some really hard work some time.
Today, hold these things fast in your heart and mind: God’s lavish grace was gifted to you, making you what he chose for you, knowing that his grace would satisfy the deepest longings of your life. Knowing this, work steady, wiser- harder, as needed that you may have that blessed experience of saying, his ‘grace which was with me.’