As God’s co-workers we urge you not to receive God’s grace in vain. (2 Cor. 6:1)
On my desk sits an unopened deck of playing cards that I bought as a souvenir. Occasionally, I think about opening the cards. I want to look at the designs and possibly play a game or two with them, but I stop myself from opening them out of fear that the cards will get damaged. Inevitably, I will bridge too aggressively and bend the top corner of a card or coffee will get spilled on the deck. So, the deck sits unopened and wrapped in a plastic shield protecting it from harm.
Paul warned against receiving grace in vain. For the grace that works toward perfect love and holiness not to be given in vain, it must go out from comfortable and pristine places. For grace to be experienced in the here and now, it needs to be exposed to the here and now. God invites us, even in our imperfections, to be coworkers.
Being a coworker with God involves embracing today as a day of living out salvation. Grace is a gift best experienced opened, not wrapped in protective plastic. The grace that we are given from God can flow through us like water through a conduit. Do not wait for the perfect moment to join God as a coworker. Be a conduit of grace so that today may be the time of God’s favor.
Be open to God’s grace flowing in and through you.
Scott Donahue-Martens lives outside of Boston. He is on staff at Awaken City Wesleyan Church and is completing a PhD in practical theology.
© 2022 Wesleyan Publishing House. Reprinted from Light from the Word. Used by permission. Scriptures taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®.
