Goodness Gracious

Think on this…I am a part of a unique people. The African American people are special in one major way. Hardship? No, people all over the world experience that. Oppression? No, the Native Americans were robbed of their land and almost wiped out, and blacks in South Africa experienced apartheid. We are special in that we have been bred, yes bred like horses or dogs. We have been bred to work. When master wasn’t chasing the slave women around to create little mixed race babies he was matching up slaves for their best genes. My ancestors had it rough. Please don’t tune out because I mentioned slavery, it happened, deal with it. The point is we were bred for work. I believe that is why we see so many black Americans thriving at athletics where being bigger, stronger, and faster is at a premium. Good breeding.

This is a particular problem when it comes to embracing God’s grace. Grace is a church term that means, God decided to rescue us from the penalty that our sins (faults) demanded. You can’t earn grace. Many people look at God as a mean personality, but I see love perfected. Why? Because he could have let us try to repay a debt that could never have been paid, but instead he paid it, himself. That is what the cross is about. God is trying to give us what we need, ultimately. He loves us. As an African American who was bred to work, I have a hard time with grace because I have an internal tendency to try and work my way to heaven. “Let me do more, and I just need to”, are common phrases for me. I’m a worker bee. But, grace says, just take the gift.

This truth is wrecking my “worker” mentality. I can’t, but God did. I am learning to rest and embrace the grace of God. It’s weird, but so liberating. “For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men and women.” Titus 2:11 We don’t have to work to earn anything from God, all we have to do is receive it. That’s so awesome!...Just a thought.