Resisting Grace

Here’s a helpful question to ask from time to time: Am I resisting God’s grace?

Now, why would anyone do that? Resist the grace received through Jesus? Consider the following.

We don’t think we deserve it. Especially for those of us who live in cultures that are highly individualistic, we are conditioned to believe that the person is ultimately responsible for everything going well or going wrong. We may believe in grace, but we try to live in a meritocracy, where people get what they deserve, for good or for ill.

We want to be in charge. I really don’t want to owe anything to anyone, and at times that includes God, who offers mercy and grace, both un-earned by me. If I owe God my gratitude and even my faithfulness, then perhaps I don’t get to have final say about what I do. Do I really want to give that power to anyone, even God?

We are too wounded to respond to grace. After trauma or grief, trust can be truly difficult. Maybe God does love me, but can I really trust that after what’s happened to me? Wounded people can find it difficult to trust. What this means is that, before trust, we need the grace to be healed, and that can take a while.

We feel more powerful and independent when we work hard to accomplish something. Receiving grace does not mean that we don’t work; often we are given the grace to help us do the work. But maybe we want to do it ourselves, and we forget that God calls us into collaboration. We receive the grace to participate with the holy in all kinds of work.

We fear close encounter with God. Humanity has always feared the unknown and the mysterious. If I accept God’s grace, what might happen to me? What might I be asked to do or become? What parts of my life will need to be sorted out, cleaned up, or renewed? Do I really want all of that?

We want to stay comfortable. Growth brings discomfort, and it’s easier to stay in our familiar, soft place and not think too much or open ourselves to new ideas or challenges. Grace will always mean growth of some sort, and if we’re honest, we must admit that, at times, we’d just rather not grow—too much work and inconvenience.

We let shame get in the way. This can be the toughest resistance of all. I can be guilty of sinful thoughts, attitudes, words, and behavior, but I can choose to do better, receive God’s forgiveness, and move on. But if I’m convinced that I’m a bad person, then that’s shame, and I feel beyond hope or help. God does not shame us, but other people do, and we do it to ourselves. Also, the enemy of our souls would love for us to stay trapped in shame so that we never open up to grace and healing.

We fail to recognize grace. We’re looking for some fantastic, supernatural help. And we miss the grace that arrives through friendship, a conversation, a medical procedure, or a day of gentle weather.

Given all the ways I can resist grace, it’s likely that I resist it more often than I realize. So today I ask myself: How might I be resisting God’s grace today? I try to respond honestly and with a heart open to God’s love.

Photo by Luwadlin Bosman on Unsplash.