A couple of days ago, I received an email about a final grade for a class. I opened it expecting the usual details and discovered I had received a zero on one of my final assignments.
Well, the problem wasn't that I had done a bad job. The problem was that I hadn't even turned it in.
My best guess is that I confused one class for another, the paper got lost in my mind, and I didn't even realize there was an assignment to complete.
I immediately emailed the professor to ask whether I could submit it late. But I decided not to wait. Before he answered, I cranked out an eight-page paper, not knowing if it would be accepted. If grace was going to be available, I wanted to be ready to receive it.
That made me think about Jesus' words in Matthew 25. Again and again, Jesus tells stories about people who assume there will always be more time. Think of bridesmaids waiting for a wedding, servants entrusted with resources, and people expecting a master's return. The recurring theme is to be ready.
Not because God is looking for reasons to trip us up. Maybe because life has a way of surprising us.
We can numbly walk through our days assuming there will always be another opportunity to pray, another chance to forgive, another day to serve, or another moment to say yes to God. Then suddenly we realize that today was the opportunity.
As far as my missing assignment, I got to work before I knew the answer. I didn't wait to see whether the professor would show a little mercy. I acted as though it would be so.
And that's a good faith posture. We trust God's grace completely, but we don't use it as an excuse for delayed obedience. We respond today. We love and follow today. Because some assignments are too important to miss.
Stay blessed...john
Comments