Last Thursday at Dinner and a Message we looked at Ephesians 2: 1 – 10. We talked a lot about grace, and how we are saved by grace. Grace is free; there is nothing that we can do to deserve it. It’s not about works, but that doesn’t mean works have no place.
In fact, Paul is very clear when he tells the Ephesians what they should do because they have been given grace: good works. They, and we, don’t do the works for grace, but we do the works because of grace.
Dallas Willard, a theology professor, once said that “Grace is not opposed to effort; it is opposed to earning.” Grace is not something that you earn, but receiving grace does put us in a position to put forth some effort, to do good works.
So, what does that look like? What are some good works that we can do?
We often think, “I’m just one person. How can I make a significant difference?” Mother Teresa has already answered that question when she said, “Not all of us can do great things, but we can do small things with great love.”
Let someone in in front of you in a line of traffic. Get off that jam-packed UGA bus to let someone else on. Hold doors for people. Smile. Ask your waiter/waitress how they are doing and actually listen to his/her response. Give the classmate who is frantically looking for a pen one of yours. Give a couple bucks or a cup of coffee to that person with the sign asking for help.
As we discussed Thursday night, the questions isn’t what would Jesus do? The question is what will I do?