Testing positive for Grace Turned Outward

(Click here for a video of John reading this Catch.)

It’s about time. It’s been almost a year since we last published the Grace Turned Outward test. So how ya doin’? Here we go …

We’ve been forgiven, so we forgive.

We’ve been loved, so we love.

We’ve been freely accepted, so we accept others freely.

We’ve been given mercy, so we are merciful.

We have escaped judgment, so we do not judge.

We’ve been welcomed in, so we welcome all.

The door was left opened for us, so we left it open to others.

We are different people from what we were;

We are Grace Turned Outward.

The test is in the back half of each line. Am I able to forgive, able to love, able to accept others freely, able to be merciful, able to be non-judgmental, able to be welcoming to all, and able to let anyone in the door? Then I am realizing grace turned outward. That’s the test.

But consequently, if I can’t forgive, I am most likely not believing my own forgiveness. I am still trying to pay for my sins so I must make others pay too. If I can’t be merciful, I’m not believing God’s mercy towards me. I am living in guilt and placing guilt on others so I can feel better by comparison. If I can’t love, it’s a sure sign that I am not believing I am loved. I am not accepting God’s love for me; I am still trying to earn it. I’m trying to deserve it. If I’m being judgmental, it’s a sure sign that guilt is ruling my life. If I, like the Pharisees, only want to let certain people in and keep others out, I am only showing how full of pride I am.

Imagine the difference we can make flooding the world with forgiving, loving, accepting, merciful, welcoming, non-judgmental people. This is what God has shown us through Jesus Christ who took the fall for us. You don’t even hear much about these things with so much anger, vitriol and accusation going on. There is a universal meanness afoot. How much easier it is to blame someone else than to own up to our own shortcomings. 

Grace turned outward makes a real difference.

Take the test — the Grace Turned Outward test. This is one time you want to test positive.