{"id":514,"date":"2011-11-03T09:01:00","date_gmt":"2011-11-03T13:01:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.michellebeachy.com\/blog\/thursday-november-3-2011\/"},"modified":"2011-11-03T09:01:00","modified_gmt":"2011-11-03T13:01:00","slug":"thursday-november-3-2011","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.michellebeachy.com\/blog\/thursday-november-3-2011\/","title":{"rendered":"Thursday November 3, 2011"},"content":{"rendered":"

<\/a> <\/p>\n

If someone were to ask you what the hot topic of 2011 is, how would you answer? There are probably several. But the one I keep noticing over and over is themed around grace. Everyone is talking about grace these days. Soapboxes start up and take off. <\/span>

I need more grace. As in, I need to learn to extend more grace. (Kind of need it extended more, too.<\/span> ). But something keeps niggling for me. Especially as I watched several discussions on grace disintegrate into differing layers of “don’t judge anything.” It’s almost as though people have a hang up with it. One person starts soapboxing on the don’t judge others subject. Someone else comes along and says, “Hey, you know we need to be careful that we aren’t judging the people who are judging.” And the next person comes along and starts saying, “Hey, don’t judge her. She wasn’t judging those people. She was just making a point.” <\/span>

It’s almost funny.  Except that it’s not.  All of those points are true and things to think about, but sometimes it feels as though instead of all extending grace, we’re all just getting our you know what in a wad. We’re talking the talk, but not walking the walk. Why is that? Trust me, I’m a really big fan of not being judged. Especially falsely. Judgement hurts. Actually, it can kill.  I love that the current hot topic is one that teaches us to look with bigger eyes, a God-perspective, and less narrow horizons. But why is it not always working?<\/span>

Is it because we sometimes misrepresent grace with poorly disguised relativism? <\/span>

There’s a pretty big difference between grace and relativism. <\/span>

Relativism ignores truth. Pretends all is good. It does not bother to find out what truth is but withdraws in an “I’m ok; you’re ok” mentality. Relativism doesn’t have to get involved; it keeps it’s fingers from getting messy. Relativism removes me from the risk of accountability. <\/span>

Grace sees truth and loves anyway. It loves the unlovely. It believes in. Hopes for. Grace finds the elements of good in someone to speak well of. Not because it doesn’t see the bad, but because grace is mercy in action. Grace looks into the face of evil and sees the potential for redemption. Grace reaches out a hand — even if it means getting dirty.<\/span>

Relativism is passive<\/span>
Grace is active.<\/span>

Relativism is amoral.<\/span>
Grace is truth shrouded in mercy and love.<\/span>

Relativism walks away.<\/span>
Grace embraces.<\/span>

Grace<\/font> is a gift that can only be given to others when we’ve learned to accept it ourselves.<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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