Daily Reading: 2 Corinthians 5:14–21
God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting men’s sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation. (2 Cor. 5:19)
As he walked out of preschool, my son held a long dowel with a small ball covered in glue and glitter affixed to it. “It’s a counter,” he told me, which he demonstrated as soon as he walked through our door and ran to the bookshelf. “One book. Two. Three.” He spent the rest of the day counting everything in sight: apple slices, steps in the house, action figures, and all of his stuffed animals.
It is cute coming from a four-year-old, but the effect isn’t the same when I do it. “Remember when I needed your support, but instead you insulted me?” I ask my husband. Strike one. “You left your clothes on the floor this morning.” Two. If I’m not careful, I enter into a counting match, one in which no one wins, as I fill with anger and resentment and my spouse becomes discouraged.
It is in these moments I remember that the One I strive to be like chooses to forego counters and instead draws us closer to Himself. There is no glittery ball that highlights every offense and sin, not even a ledger to keep track of the many ways in which I’ve been forgiven. Instead, He holds His arms open wide, ready to impart His sheer grace that is extended to you and me so we may offer it to others.
Trade in your counter for the ministry of reconciliation.
Stacy Voss loves to run, chase her kids, and hike in the mountains with her husband outside their Colorado home.
