No's Into Yeses

“What do you think? A man had two sons; he went to the first and said, ‘Son, go and work in the vineyard today.’ He answered, ‘I will not’; but later he changed his mind and went. The father went to the second and said the same; and he answered, ‘I go, sir’; but he did not go.-Matthew 21:28-29


I read/heard two different perspectives about yesterday's gospel story about the two brothers whose father asked them to go into the field and work.  One said "yes" but didn't and one said "no" but did.


The first perspective was from a daily devotional I receive in my email.  It talked about how we say "yes" in church each week, but then walk out the church doors and back to our everyday life of "no."  It made me feel guilty.  It made me feel like I will never measure up in God's eyes.


The other perspective was in the sermon from Pastor Chad.  He told us that it is God who works through our honest "no" to make it a "yes."  He reiterated that our good works don't come from us, but from God working through us to will it and provide the tools and the gifts and talents and opportunities.  It made me feel like all things really are possible with God... that he can even take my mostly self-centered life and use it to serve others even when I think I can't.


Judgment/Grace.  It's there in every passage of the Bible.  We can choose to see it either way.  Some would call the grace perspective the "feel good" perspective.  But I think it is the "God is in control" perspective.  Judgement is the "I am in control" perspective.


Left to our own devices, we would deserve nothing but harsh judgment and all the guilt that comes with it.  But when we give our lives to God, we literally do just that.  God works through us in ways we could never  accomplish on our own.  Even when we say "no," God is working in us and in the world around us to turn it into a "yes" and our lives are never the same.


Father,
On my own I can only say "no."  Thank you for turning my no's into yeses that I may experience more abundant life.  Amen.


Joys:  the grace perspective; a fun weekend with my granddaughter; morning yoga in a quiet house