How Much Grace Can You Imagine?
Jul 08, 2020
“Grace was given to each one of us according to the measure of Christ’s gift.” (Ephesians 4:7)
Our perception and reception of this grace has everything to do with our vision of “the measure of Christ’s gift.”
How much grace can you imagine?
Do you view the measure Christ uses being small and anemic or large and overflowing?
As a brief example, let’s look at Ludwig van Beethoven. Here’s what from The Piano Guys had to say about him:
What are Beethoven’s secrets? He had many.
His most prominent secret that he desperately tried to keep from the public and that caused him to be considered extremely eccentric, irritable, and hermit-like was his “weakness.”
He was deaf during most of his life.
Imagine that…one of the greatest composers that ever lived could hardly hear. And yet, he wrote his life’s greatest works after becoming deaf.
He believed that art itself had “secrets” that had to be “forced into” in order to obtain art’s highest level.
There is no doubt Beethoven discovered many of the “secrets” of art — people all over the world enjoy them every day. He was a true master of music, blessed by God.” (excerpt from The Piano Guys)
How is it possible to compose music when you can’t hear? It’s a miracle. And yet, Beethoven did it. A deaf composer. Extraordinary, but real. This is overwhelming grace.
What are the seemingly impossible situations in your life right now? How might God enable you to create something extraordinary out of your weakness? The power of the resurrection is within you (Romans 8:11).
“Grace was given to each one of us according to the measure of Christ’s gift.” (Ephesians 4:7)
This is more than positive thinking or will power. What is this grace? And how can I participate more fully in it this extravagant gift? These are questions that you can hold within you as you make your way into the next few days.
As we shared in What Does Your Soul Love? learning to hold questions can have the power to bring about transformation.
I invite you to listen to Beethoven’s Adagio Cantabile. While doing so, let the melodies of this second movement from Sonata Pathétique sweep over your heart and mind. You may want to listen, uninterrupted, or you may want to engage the reflection prompts below as you listen.
An invitation may be knocking on the door of your own weaknesses or even the corpse of a dead dream.
What is possible with God?
“Don’t only practice your art, but force your way into its secrets, for it and knowledge can raise men to the divine.” (Ludwig van Beethoven)
REFLECTION
Spend a few minutes with the questions below.
- What is one seemingly impossible situation in your life right now?
- What is your vision of the “measure of Christ’s gift?”
- How might God enable you to create something extraordinary out of something that is not working? Or out of your weakness?
- What invitation do you sense? Is there a scripture passage that comes to mind?
- What is possible with God?
Note: This is adapted from a blog originally posted on October 26, 2016.
Photo by Dolo Iglesias on Unsplash
