but for the grace of God

“There, but for the grace of God, go I.”

A statement of humility…a statement that recognizes our own weaknesses…a statement that defines the very life we live day by day by day.

Simply put (and as the Cambridge Dictionary defines it), “something said when something bad that has happened to someone else could have happened to you.”

I got really bad news today. Disturbing news. Heart-breaking news. News that I “never-in-a-million-years” thought would happen. But the thing is, the mistakes/failures/sins this person committed could have just as easily been ME.  All of us are capable of so much personal and relational destruction if given the chance. We are no different. This is why it is so important to keep our judgmental attitudes at bay…and remember that God’s grace is as powerful to pull us out of the gutter as it is to keep us from falling into the gutter in the first place. No difference!!!

We, all of every one of us, have weaknesses…we have “soft spots” that are easily damaged and cause us to make the most unwisest decisions we could ever make. I’ve been there…done that…bought the t-shirt.

And so have YOU.

So instead of being quick to judge (“How could they DO that??”…” What in God’s name were they thinking?”…”Didn’t they know the risk they were taking and the damage they were going to cause?”) we need to be quick to realize that, it could have happened to any and every one of us. None of us are immune to making decisions that could ruin our life and the lives of the ones we love.

So, let’s all be diligent to keep our minds and hearts and actions as pure as we possibly can,…NOT because we may get caught, but because the One that knows us best and loves us most is watching…is doing His best to guide us into wise decisions and actions…and is in our corner when we face temptations that seem to be almost impossible to resist.