A while ago little Alexis tumbled down from the top of our staircase. I saw it happen! You can’t imagine the feeling of helplessness. All I could do was shout “Alexis!” and suddenly she stopped rolling and came to a halt 2 steps away from the hard tiled floor. It was as if an unseen hand responded to my call. Had she continued rolling and smashed into the tiles, there would have been blood no doubt.
We have told Alexis many times to hold the rails whenever she walks up and down the stairs. She simply forgot that time. “Hold the rails,” she says now.
Well, I was walking up the stairs with her today and I asked her, “Hold Papa’s hand.” She replied, “No, I have to hold the rails.” I said, “No, you can hold Papa’s hand.” She responded obediently to the previous rule established long time ago, “No, Alexis has to hold the rails, Papa!” I assured her, “Alexis, I am safer than the rails!”
Then it hit me – this was an illustration of the difference between Law and Grace being shown in our home! The Law said, “Hold the rails.” The Law was good. The Law is good. The Law will always be good. However, I am better than the Law. If you ~ Little One ~ trust me, you can hold my hand and you will be safer than walking up the stairs alone holding the rails. My hand is safer than the rail. My hand allows you to let go of the rail. In fact, my very presence is safer to Alexis than the rail. I could simply walk behind her, without her seeing me, and she would be completely safe and could confidently walk up the entire staircase without holding on to the rail!
The rail is the Law. The hand or presence of a father is Grace. God asks you to let go of the rail, not because the rail was bad. Not at all! The rail was for our benefit, our safety. But God asks you to let go of the rail because Grace is stronger than the rail. Grace is more protective than the Law. God loves Grace because it means instead of trusting in rules and principles, we begin to trust our wonderful Heavenly Father.
Letting go of the Law without trusting in God’s Hand or God’s Presence is to open yourself up for a fall. Yes, we no longer live under Law, but we do live under Grace. Grace is activated by trusting in God’s Presence and Power. So when you’re ready to let go of the rail, be sure you take the Hand of God and seek His Presence with you daily! That’s what it means to no longer live under Law, but under Grace.
O, and next time, instead of shouting “Alexis” I will remember to call on “Jesus!” instead. Thank God for Grace!
COMMENT PLEASE: How have you struggled with the issue of Law vs Grace?
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