September 21, 2022

Apparently, Cathi and I did a very foolish thing. When our kids were born, we started college savings accounts in the event that they would go on to college. Every month, we added to them. As it turned out, each of them decided to go to college and the savings by then was very helpful. But what were we thinking?!

Instead of saving for our kids’ educational expenses, we should have spent that money or put it away for our retirement and instead, had our kids take out student loans so the government could forgive them and along with that, we should have taken out parental loans because now there is a group of senators who are appealing to the President to forgive parental loans as well. They are arguing that if you forgive the students of their debt, it is not fair to the parents who also have debt. Hey, what about the parents who saved and helped their kids? Where’s ours? While we’re at it, can we get reimbursed for diapers, formula, soccer league fees, time off for baseball games, piano lessons, karate lessons, braces, trips to Chuck E. Cheese, vacations, SUV payments, vehicle insurance, gas, and all the sleepless nights that kids cost us?

Just so we are clear. That second paragraph was sarcasm!

Is it the job of the government to pay for my kid to go to college? No. But if the government offers to pay for it, or offers to forgive student debt or parental debt do you take it? Hmm, now that could be an intense discussion – right? But here is my point in bringing this up.

It is very tempting for us to take a gift and turn it into a right. We do this with God. We are prone to take his mercies and treat them as things He is obligated to give us. If your employer surprises you and gives you an extra day for a holiday this year (or a Christmas bonus), you are grateful for the first year, but expect it for the second and demand it by the third, right? As soon as we think that God is obligated to forgive us and we, in a sense, demand it, we have moved a long way away from understanding God, ourselves, justice, mercy, and grace.

Our joy in life is tethered to our faithful understanding of and appreciation of the gospel. God is NOT obligated to me. I have no basis to demand anything from Him. Absolute justice from God would result in my sin being judged by God against me resulting in my condemnation. I deserve that. I deserve wrath. I deserve judgment. But, God, instead of judging me, judged and condemned Christ IN MY PLACE! I do not deserve that! I will never deserve that! Therefore, I should never get used to that, presume upon that, take it for granted, or believe that I am in anyway entitled. It is and will always be – Amazing Grace.

Stand Amazed,

Bob

Sunday’s text: 1 Samuel 26