Balance

Maybe it was easier before. Maybe it was more black and white. Perhaps the issues were less obvious or I was more oblivious. I have no idea, but what I know to be true is that, “what has been will be again, what has been done will be done again; there is nothing new under the sun” (Ecclesiastes 1:9).

Love, grace and law -only Jesus seemed to perfectly hold these in balance. Somehow, he was able to meet people with love and grace, while helping them turn away from their sin to follow him. Of course, some chose to walk away. “The young man heard this and went away sad…” (Matthew 19:22). I’d like to believe the young man came back around.

How do we do it, hold all this in balance? Perfection is not in my toolbox, nor will it ever be. How do we meet people with love and grace, call sin a sin and lead people to Jesus? I once heard someone say, “your tolerance is intolerant.” When is tolerance love and when is tolerance condoning? I’m struggling with this and I’m not sure I have a good answer.

Condemnation is not my job, neither is conviction. Conviction is the work of the Holy Spirit, as is self-awareness, which reveals God’s truth and moves us to action. Both are the internal work of the heart, creating an external manifestation of the changes within – simply put, a conversion.

Jesus followers

So where do Jesus followers plug into this equation? Will our love help bring about conversion, certainly. Are we called to speak the truth, of course. What I believe to be the missing piece is discernment – knowing when and how and in what way to communicate God’s truth, with grace and love. 

The only way I can think to do this is to be so closely intertwined with the heart of God that his desire for a person becomes my desire, that his love for a person becomes my love for them and that my timing always yields to God’s. In one word, humility. No one wants a conversion of heart and a change in someone’s life more than the Lord himself.

Truth, love & timing

We may know the truth, we may have it well rehearsed to speak, and our intentions to help others turn from sin and follow the law, may all be good. However, hearts are extremely fragile and minds are stubborn. And if we throw the balance of love, grace and law off kilter, we are likely to cause more damage than good. 

Well, I still don’t have a clear picture of how this balance thing plays out. In the meantime, I will continue to seek the heart of God, love people, practice discernment and wait for his timing.