The Gift for today was written by @Bmk1989. Enjoy
“Don’t blame the child for forgetting lessons, make the lessons unforgettable.”
Sonam Wangchuk
In AA, I often hear others who sponsor a lot of people (dogmatically) declare that it is our “duty” to do just that. Actually, it’s not, and the Big Book says so. But so does the Bigger Book.
Is it our “duty” to leak love on our spouse or co-worker, or provide help to one in need or, is it our privilege? If I do those things out of a duty, it may be constructive, but not compelling. Why do we sometimes feel that we need to do things out of a duty rather than a genuine desire? To me, the feeling of “duty” is a sin, and here’s why:
Logically, if I look into my mirror of God’s word and see me—someone in need of grace, then why would I be impatient to give that grace to another? Well, it is because I forget. So how do I manufacture that elusive but “genuine” desire to leak love and provide grace to those I encounter?
When I ardently reflect on who I am, then take time to consider the grace that couldn’t have been earned, achieved, or deserved, but which has been lavished on me, and when I remember that that grace came at a cost of life of another, then I am genuinely and joyfully motivated to pass on that grace to another. At bottom, harsh, critical, impatient, and irritated responses to others are always born out of forgetting or denying who I am and what has been given to me. Nobody gives grace better than a person who is deeply convinced of his own need for it, and who is acutely aware of the grace that has been, and is being, given.
Look, because we forget quickly—because we fall into believing that we are deserving, and thinking that we are more deserving and capable than we actually are, we all require grace right at the very moment when we are called to give that grace to another. So, it really is simple math: start your day with a dose of grace so that you can be a tool and give it to another.
John 4:19 “We love because He first loved us.”
“Don’t blame the child for forgetting lessons, make the lessons unforgettable.”
Sonam Wangchuk
In AA, I often hear others who sponsor a lot of people (dogmatically) declare that it is our “duty” to do just that. Actually, it’s not, and the Big Book says so. But so does the Bigger Book.
Is it our “duty” to leak love on our spouse or co-worker, or provide help to one in need or, is it our privilege? If I do those things out of a duty, it may be constructive, but not compelling. Why do we sometimes feel that we need to do things out of a duty rather than a genuine desire? To me, the feeling of “duty” is a sin, and here’s why:
Logically, if I look into my mirror of God’s word and see me—someone in need of grace, then why would I be impatient to give that grace to another? Well, it is because I forget. So how do I manufacture that elusive but “genuine” desire to leak love and provide grace to those I encounter?
When I ardently reflect on who I am, then take time to consider the grace that couldn’t have been earned, achieved, or deserved, but which has been lavished on me, and when I remember that that grace came at a cost of life of another, then I am genuinely and joyfully motivated to pass on that grace to another. At bottom, harsh, critical, impatient, and irritated responses to others are always born out of forgetting or denying who I am and what has been given to me. Nobody gives grace better than a person who is deeply convinced of his own need for it, and who is acutely aware of the grace that has been, and is being, given.
Look, because we forget quickly—because we fall into believing that we are deserving, and thinking that we are more deserving and capable than we actually are, we all require grace right at the very moment when we are called to give that grace to another. So, it really is simple math: start your day with a dose of grace so that you can be a tool and give it to another.
John 4:19 “We love because He first loved us.”
