*Note: Transforming Grace is require reading for one of my classes (Gospel and Life)...the following is a brief bit of writing based on the first few chapters...bear with me as I lazily copy and paste:
In Chapter 1 (The Performance Treadmill) it has been underlined in the book I am borrowing: “He not only purchased your forgiveness of sins and your ticket to Heaven, He purchased every blessing and answer to prayer you will ever receive.” Wow, I honestly had not thought of God’s grace in this way before...if it wasn’t already underlined I would do so myself.
As this semester progresses I am realizing just how much I live on a performance treadmill, certain that I must do the best I can to replace my “debt” to God. I was fairly secure in my walk that I had gotten this beat, that I understood God’s grace and what that looks like in my life. Yes, I acknowledge and thank the Lord for his grace and provision, yet I am painfully realizing that this is not reflected very well in my actions. I am constantly kvetching to myself how I am not good enough…what I failure I am for God’s kingdom.
Bridges points out that this is rooted in two things…that I am afraid if I relinquish control to God that I will slack off AND that I don’t really believe that I am bankrupt. While I agree with the second point, the first point caught me off guard. I have often thought this, that if I rely on God’s grace that I will “slack off,” yet I hadn’t quite read this in print before. What a thing to realize…that even my effort to not slack off is tainted by this selfish center on ME. Even my desire to “do good work” is tainted without Christ.
The debated relationship between grace and works is a long one, to which I am the last person to say I have the best answer. But, it is a question that is currently at the forefront of many minds at my home church, so I have been wrestling with it a lot this weekend.
Bridges’ use of the performance treadmill was helpful for me to sort some things out and form an analogy of my own (note, I do not claim any copyright of this, haha):
I love running, but I hate running on a treadmill. The only thing that keeps me going on that thing is the belt and motor…and my trusty Brooks…and I’ll admit, sometimes the handrails. I am not powering that treadmill, rather, it is powering me to run. God’s grace/the Holy Spirit is that treadmill belt and motor (and the treadmill is the Christian life?). It is by God’s grace that I am running…that I am fulfilling my purpose on that treadmill.
Can you imagine what I would look like running on a treadmill barefoot without the belt going? Sure, I’d be running, of sorts, but not as God has intended. I daresay I would look pretty stupid. And I’d probably fall off.
How ridiculous. Yet, spiritually, I do that every day.
What about you? What does your treadmill look like? How do you combat the urge to unplug the treadmill and go at it yourself?
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