Bear with me while I project some personification (perhaps a li'l too much) onto my dogs.
For those of you who have met my two dogs, you're immediately aware of their very different personalities. Lola, the younger one, is an energetic hound who sees the world as her playground. Everything she sees or encounters is a new form of entertainment, something about which to get excited. She is the embodiment of happiness. Every person she meets is yet another human for her to give her little puppy love to. She loves everybody, strangers, big people, little people, even my dad. Whoever you are, where ever you are, know that my dog, Lola, loves you. She will gladly run to you and lick you all over if you let her. She will give you as much love as you will let her. (And she'll take as much belly rubbin' in return as you can manage.)
Licks are a dog's equivalent of an "I love you" (or "you taste good"). And Lola's licks come cheap. Anyone can have them, anytime. It takes very little effort to get love from Lola.
Our older dog, Dakota, has a different outlook on life. This animal (if you can call her that--she would prefer princess) is far more cunning than her less-whitted sister. She plans two, sometimes three, moves ahead on how to get food (her main reason for living). She knows how to get Lola out of the favored doggy bed by passive-aggressively seeking attention from mom and dad. She'll come to me wagging for affection. This attention makes Lola jealous causing Lola to rise from the coveted dog-bed and come for some attention as well. But the moment Lola leaves the bed, Dakota will turn her tail to me and steal the dog-bed. Makes me feel so used.
Dakota does not love everyone, especially my dad. In fact, most people have to earn her love. She's weary of strangers and only on her terms may you pet her. To recieve an affectionate lick from Dakota is no small deal. Your motivation for seeking her affection must be genuine. Otherwise she senses your less-than-genuine motivation and withholds the lick. Her affection must be sought with fervor.
Dakota's licks are costly. It takes a fair amount of effort, of investment to receive them.
The 20th century theologian Dietrich Bonhoeffer wrote a book call The Cost of Discipleship. In it he gave a lot of attention to distinguishing between what he called Cheap Grace vs Costly Grace.
Here is what Bonhoeffer himself wrote:
"Cheap grace means grace sold on the market like a cheapjack's wares. The sacraments, the forgiveness of sin, and the consolations of religion are thrown away at cut-rate prices. Grace is represented as the Church's inexhaustible treasury, from which she showers blessings with generous hands, without asking questions or fixing limits. Grace without price; grace without cost! And the essence of grace, we suppose, is that the account has been paid in advance; and, because it has been paid, everything can be had for nothing. Since the cost was infinite, the possibilities of using and spending it are infinite. What would grace be, if it were not cheap?
In such a Church the world finds a cheap covering for its sins; no contrition is required, still less any real desire to be delivered from sin.
Cheap grace means the justification of sin without the justification of the sinner. Grace alone does everything, they say, and so everything can remain as it was before. { p. 42}
Cheap grace is the preaching of forgiveness without requiring repentance, (it is) baptism without church discipline, Communion without confession, absolution without personal confession. Cheap grace is grace without discipleship, grace without the cross, grace without Jesus Christ, living and incarnate." { p. 43-4}
"Costly grace is the treasure hidden in the field; for the sake of it a man will gladly go and sell all that he has. It is the pearl of great price to buy which the merchant will sell all his goods. It is the kingly rule of Christ, for whose sake of one will pluck out the eye which causes him to stumble; it is the call of Jesus Christ at which the disciple leaves his nets and follows him.
Costly grace is the gospel which must be sought again and again, the gift which must be asked for, the door at which a man must knock.
Such grace is costly because it calls us to follow, and it is grace because it calls us to followJesus Christ. It is costly because it costs a man his life, and it is grace because it gives a man the only true life. It is costly because it condemns sin, and grace because it justifies the sinner. Above all, it is costly because it cost God the life of his Son: "ye were bought at a price," and and what has cost God much cannot be cheap for us. Above all, it is grace because God did not reckon his Son too dear a price to pay for our life, but delivered him up for us. Grace is costly because it compels a man to submit to the yoke of Christ and follow him; it is grace because Jesus says: "my yoke is easy and my burden light." { p. 45}
I find myself reminded of one of life's general themes: those things that are worth doing are not easy. Conversely, the easy things in life tend to have less meaning and worth. Cheap food is generally not healthy. It takes effort to eat well and lose weight. Weight loss is earned. It is tough. It takes loads of effort, but it results in a notable achievement. Liposuction surgery is a form of cheap (though expensive) weight loss. It is devoid of the struggle, the effort, the discipline of exercise-driven, motivated, and focused natural weight loss. The tough path is more worthwhile.
Professional accomplishments in life follow the same theme. Putting in years of service, day in and day out, for a company to one day earn a job position of authority and responsibility is costly. It takes devotion to your work and loyalty to a company. It takes showing that you're capable and skilled at your work, whatever type of work you're in. It may take more education, which is itself a difficult task. Things that are worthwhile, require taking the tougher road. The easy road is simply coming to work for a paycheck. Punching your time card, and getting the minimum required work done. It is easier, although the results are generally less meaningful. There is costly work ethic, and there is cheap work ethic.
There are countless other life categories in which this principle applies. Finances: in order to save money, it takes financial discipline - something at which our culture (and government) is terrible. Marriage: getting married is the easy part, making it work for 30, 40, 50 years takes effort, lots of effort. But the result is worth it.
Raising children. Running a marathon. Writing a book. Preparing a performance. And in so many other facets of life, the theme remains constant: the tough road is worthwhile, the easy road comes cheap.
As I read Bonhoeffer's description of cheap and costly grace, I hear him pleading for Christians to make the grace of God worthwhile. Don't cheapen it by always taking the easy road in life and in love. It is one thing to say that in this life I'm am trying to follow the way of Jesus. For that is easy enough to say. It is another thing entirely to actually do it.
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Question for commenters: what other parts of life follow the theme that tougher roads are more worthwhile? And do you see any exceptions to this trend?
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