Get out of the way

The night before I went away to college I can remember a conversation I had with my father. I was about to head to Kentucky Christian College to study and become a youth minister. The months leading up to this moment are where my problems began. My father had taken a ministry in Mt. Vernon, KY, but I stayed with a friend in Bellville, OH to finish out my Sr. year of High School. While my family was 7 hours away, I took advantage of my freedom. I discovered alcohol and number of ways to get in trouble, and I loved it. This is where we get back to the conversation with my father.

I was having trouble sleeping, and I walked down the hall to where my father was watching SportsCenter, and felt it was time to 'fess up. I began to share with my father all of the things that I had gotten involved in while he was away. I felt a great deal of remorse, and finished by saying, "I shouldn't be going into youth ministry. God can't use someone like me." At that moment, I was looking for a fatherly pat on the back and maybe some advice. Instead, I got the death stare.

My father looked me in the eye, and he simply said, "That is the stupidest thing I have ever heard!" I was shocked. This was not the response that I was longing for. He continued, "Who are you to say what God can and can't do? You're blocking God from forgiving you, and, until you can let go, God's forgiveness can't be present in your life." He went on to ask me if I'd, "ever killed a Christian?" I, of course, answered with a no. He then lectured me on how God forgave Paul for all he had done, and that, if God can forgive him, then He can obviously forgive me for drinking beer.

My dad preached hundreds of sermons in my lifetime, but this one has always stuck with me. The only time that we, as humans, can limit God's grace is when we don't accept it. I needed that. I needed to know that however deep I may have gotten in my life, only I could keep God's grace from working in me, and that God wants me to get out of His way so that doesn't happen.

This Sunday, Dave is going to be speaking about that very thing, and I can honestly tell you that this is going to be an amazing week. If you are going to be at Catalyst this week, be prepared to have God shake you up a bit, and be ready to let go. This may be harder than last weeks message of sharing grace with others.