The Theology of Uncomfortable Grace

This past Sunday our teaching portion of the service was over and I was singing along with the worship team. I don't remember the song that we were singing, but I do remember it being about how God is enough.  I remember glancing around the congregation (we have little ones, so we are always sitting in the back row), and taking notice of some of the women in our congregation that I knew were suffering from terrible trials in their lives.  Some having lost children, some suffering from cancer, others with broken marriages and children who don't know the Lord.  I began to think about the words of the song we were singing and asked myself the question, "Is God really enough?...do I believe that He is enough to heal and comfort us during such terrible times of trial?"
I would tell anyone that asked me this question that in my heart I do know that God is enough. Gods Word tells us this very clearly. In this particular moment as I watched a woman with cancer raising her hands to praise the Lord I wondered to myself, "Does the way that I live my life in the midst of trial demonstrate that I truly believe this to be true?"

Nancy Leigh DeMoss had a message on today's program that really touched my heart at its core. The message was given at the Revive 13' conference for leaders in her ministry and was given by Dr. Paul David Tripp.  I have provided the link below and hope that you have time to listen to this message that is centered on the idea that God is enough and He does care.

Dr. Tripp says in this message, "God will take you where you haven't intended to go in order to produce in you what you could not achieve on your own God will take you . . . and you . . . and you . . . and you . . . and me where we have not intended to go in order to produce in us what we could not achieve on our own. Do you know what the Bible calls that? Grace!

I think for many of us—and I've been here many times in my life—there are moments where I'm crying out, "Where is the grace of God?" And I'm getting it. But it's not a cool drink. It's not a soft pillow. Oh, I want the grace of relief and the grace of release, and I get those in pieces, but largely those are to come.

What I actually need is the transforming grace of refinement. It's grace! Sisters, we'd better become committed to encouraging one another and teaching one another and preaching to one another (get this terminology) the theology of uncomfortable grace.

Because very often, this side of eternity, the grace of God comes to me in uncomfortable forms. It's grace! It's grace! It's grace! God will take you where you haven't chosen to go in order to produce in you what you could not achieve on your own. That's glorious grace.." 

I love this Truth! I love it because when I talk about God's Grace it is usually surrounding a circumstance that I feel He has spared me from.  "It's by His grace that all of my children are healthy, that my husband has a job that provides for us, and that we live in a beautiful home where our every need is available to us!"  I don't usually say to people "It's by His grace that I am having great difficulty staying at home with my children right now, or that we are approaching financial difficulty, or that my college days were filled with regret and stupidity or that I feel like the walls of this house are closing in on me." But listen, the trials that we are going through (no matter how big or small), the difficulties that are to come...that is Gods Grace! Jesus isn't after my difficulties.  He is after me and my heart!  So at the end of the day the theology of Uncomfortable Grace is helping me to understand why I must praise Him in the midst of every trial and not only if He is willing to remove the trial from me. Because there are times when I am crying out, "Where is your Grace?" And I too, am getting it. Now I can understand why the woman with cancer in my church are raising their hands in praise on Sunday! God is so good!

Listen for yourself and be encouraged! The message is taken from Mark 6:45-52
http://www.reviveourhearts.com/radio/revive-our-hearts/when-grace-sends-you-storm/