The Journey - Sustaining Grace
I hope you’ve been able to follow along as we have been exploring The Cycle of Works and The Cycle of Grace in recent blog posts.
The Cycle of Works tells us we have to work hard to earn acceptance and love. We end up exhausted and burned out… and it doesn’t work!
The Cycle of Grace reminds us we are accepted and loved by God, without doing anything! We are continually refreshed and fruitful in this life-giving approach to living.
You can read more about living from a place of God’s love and acceptance here — Acceptance of Your Belovedness.
When we live in The Cycle of Grace, we know we are loved. We know our significance and our purpose. We are able to make a real difference in the world because we express the unique gifts God has given us through the power of His love. We need God’s sustaining grace to live this way.
(Note: The Cycle of Grace model uses the word “sustenance” to describe these ongoing reminders and practices to receive the truth of God’s love. I will use the phrase “sustaining grace” in this blog as I think it more completely captures this concept.)
Sustaining Grace
Our experience of the truth — that we are accepted and loved — needs to be fed and tended to. The world, as well as our own stories, will lie to us and try to tear us down. We need sustaining grace to keep feeding ourselves the truth.
Our spiritual formation — the shaping of the deepest parts of us — is happening all the time, whether we realize it or not. Our hearts, minds, and souls are constantly being shaped by the things we spend time on, what we read, the people we are with, and the activities we engage in. We need sustaining grace to help us live from God’s love. It is important to consider what is giving us this grace and to engage with things that build us up, not tear us down.
Here are a few questions to ask yourself to discover what brings sustaining grace to you —
What helps me know God and know myself as accepted and loved?
How can truth about God and myself become more real for me?
How can I grow closer to God?
Jesus Shows Us How
As we think about growing in grace, living from our acceptance and belovedness, we don’t need to become monks. We can still do things we enjoy! Sustaining grace is seeing things in the world that point us to God and developing habits that help us become more aware of God’s presence and love.
Jesus needed sustaining grace, just like we do. He had regular rhythms that sustained His close relationship with God, His Father. As we read through the Gospels, we see Jesus —
Enjoyed the company of His friends and disciples
Spent time alone with God
Fed on scripture
Prayed
Worshiped in the temple
Cared for outcasts and the wounded
Shared food with companions
Fasted
Rested and slept (even on a boat!)
Enjoyed God’s creation, nature
Some of these are practices we typically associate with growing in holiness, like worship and praying. We also see simple things like eating with friends, sleeping, and enjoying nature! Jesus knew that caring for His soul also meant caring for His mind, heart, and body.
Brother Lawrence’s Example
Brother Lawrence, who served as a lay brother in a Carmelite monastery in Paris in the 17th century, practiced the presence of God wherever he was, whatever he was doing — even while peeling potatoes!
How can one be in a spirit of prayer, even while peeling potatoes? That is, how can a person commune with God, even while performing the most mundane tasks? His answer: practice — more specifically, the practice of the presence of God. — Brother Lawrence (1)
The practice of the presence of God (also the title of Brother Lawrence’s book) is cultivated over a long period of time, doing things like enjoying a sunset, a delicious meal, or a friend’s smile, remembering God’s presence with us and love for us.
Our experience of God’s presence and love frees us from trying to earn our significance in the world. We are able to be more fruitful and loving as we interact with others.
Sustaining Grace in Practice
What does sustaining grace look like for me and you? We can start with what we call “spiritual practices” — attending church service, reading your Bible, praying. Are they life-giving to you? If not, what may need to change?
What about simple things that are life-giving? What reminds you of God’s presence, His goodness, and His love?
Here are some possibilities —
Spending time outdoors
A morning run
Reading a good book
Doodling
Listening to, or creating, music
Flowers on your kitchen table
Lighting a candle at dinnertime
A morning cup of coffee
Putting clean sheets on your bed
Today’s Invitation
Take a few minutes to consider what brings you sustaining grace now —
Which spiritual practices remind you of God’s love and truth? What helps you grasp God’s acceptance and your belovedness? What practices from your Christian tradition bring you life? These might include prayer, Bible study, communion, worship, or other practices from your church experience.
What about scripture? Is there a verse or two that resonates in your soul and you want to remember?
What about small things that make you smile, make you sigh, make you realize how beautiful life is? How can those things become habits that point you to God?
Next Time
Later this month, we will explore a powerful place to meet God and nurture a close relationship with Him. Silence and solitude. If you are unfamiliar with this practice, be assured we will start small and provide encouragement as we take first steps into this practice. In our loud and busy world, silence and solitude are rare. These are beautiful invitations from God to go beyond the noise and clutter to meet with Him. He waits for us there. I look forward to sharing some ways to enter into that time with Him. It is so worth it.
Sources
(1) https://joyinstead.wordpress.com/2014/03/22/peeling-potatoes-part-2/
Additional Resources
Article- Sustenance Cannot Be Rushed
Book – The Practice of The Presence of God, by Brother Lawrence
If you don’t know me already… my name is Anne Greski. I serve as Women’s Ministry Director at Shallowford Church. I am a second-year student at the Renovare Institute, where I am learning how to enjoy life with God and share the deeper journey of Spiritual Formation in Christlikeness with others. My great desire is to experience friendship with God, and learn to love as God loves. You can reach me at anne@shallowford.church