Are You Gracious?
This Sunday we’ll be wrapping up our message series, “The Amazing Grace of God”. I think it’s been a healthy topic for all involved in exploring the depths of God’s mercy and love for us, in addition to looking at our flaws and how far we are away from being like Christ.
One word came to mind when anticipating this week’s message: gracious.
Merriam-Webster defines it as…
a – obsolete / godly
b – archaic / pleasing, acceptable2 a – marked by kindness and courtesy
b – graceful
c – marked by tact and delicacy
d – characterized by charm, generosity of spirit
3 – merciful, compassionate
Basically, graciousness is grace personified in us.
But being gracious is quite uncommon, especially in today’s culture of isolation, vain attempts at community, and selfish habits. We’re “too busy” to be concerned with the feelings, desires, and needs of others. Why be “nice” when no one else seems to be?
In other words, graciousness sticks out. People notice it because they don’t expect it nowadays.
One expression you hear in using the word is being a “gracious host”. Jesus talked about this in Luke 14:
7 When he noticed how the guests picked the places of honor at the table, he told them this parable: 8 “When someone invites you to a wedding feast, do not take the place of honor, for a person more distinguished than you may have been invited. 9 If so, the host who invited both of you will come and say to you, ‘Give this person your seat.’ Then, humiliated, you will have to take the least important place.
10 But when you are invited, take the lowest place, so that when your host comes, he will say to you, ‘Friend, move up to a better place.’ Then you will be honored in the presence of all the other guests. 11 For all those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.”
12 Then Jesus said to his host, “When you give a luncheon or dinner, do not invite your friends, your brothers or sisters, your relatives, or your rich neighbors; if you do, they may invite you back and so you will be repaid.
13 But when you give a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind, 14 and you will be blessed. Although they cannot repay you, you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous.”
You see, being gracious is not about “getting something out of it”. There is no guarantee of a return on your investment of love and kindness. Instead, it truly means that you treat people better than they deserve, doing so lovingly.
Who does that sound like? I’ll give you one guess…
