Due to Covid, it seems we do things a lot different these days. We have our friends come over, or us to their house, instead of going out to dinner. The four of us have come to love that. Since we miss live music, three of the four enjoy playing the guitar and/or singing. This weekend, we decided to play, Pictionary, females against males. Talk about competition?! The men were caught cheating in every way possible, and we still blew them away! And they paid for it as we did not let them hold the timer, pick their own card, etc. Nor will they next time! No sympathy for cheaters!
The next day, the word "cheaters" was used often. And the cheaters were bragging about all the ways they had cheating! I remembered cheating on a science test when I was 13. I had so much guilt that I had to go tell my teacher. She was so sweet and never held it against me. She showed me grace. We know we are not good people. Romans 3: 10-11, "As it is written: 'There is no one righteous, not even one; there is no one who understands; there is no one who seeks God." There would be no hope for any of us if it wasn't for Romans 5: 8, "But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us." God loved us so much that He sent Jesus to die for us and wipe away our sins. We do not understand this grace, but He does. But we are to accept that grace and share it with others.
Not only is this grace free and we do not deserve it, but we cannot out sin God. Have you ever thought about that? No matter how many times we mess up! Ephesians 1: 6-8, "to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves. In Him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace that he lavished on us..." I love how Paul puts it - God lavishes His grace on us. The definition of lavish is to "bestow something in generous or extravagant quantities on." I would say He has bestowed generous and extravagant quantities of grace on me! We can walk without shame because of what Jesus did for us 2000 years ago!
When other's cheat it makes me mad. And sometimes it seems like the cheaters are winning. God wants us to worry about ourselves. God is God and I am not. That is hard! Isaiah 45: 5, "I am the LORD, and there is no other; apart from me there is no God. I will strengthen you, though you have not acknowledged me..." Let's trust God and let Him work!
I still don't think I will show grace towards the Pictionary cheaters!