March 13 – Accomplish

A good day for me is to plow through a list of things accomplished. Sometimes I keep a written list, or use my phone’s “Reminders” App, checking things off as I go. Each check brings a little thrill of accomplishment. Other times I can manage a mental list, and experience a sense of power every time I mentally record a task done.

I like to start my day with a little list (note: little). There is comfort, even anticipation, in knowing I what I have to do and knowing I can do it. Because it feels so good to accomplish things.

It tells me what my worth is. As a human doing. You know; as opposed to a human being.

Doesn’t it seem like we define our worth by what we can do? what we contribute to the world by our efforts?

Martin Luther famously disliked the epistle James because he felt it put too much emphasis on performing good works. Luther had nothing against good works, per se, but his trouble was he had spent too many angst-filled years trying to earn his salvation by piling up enough good works. His epiphany came from a reading of Paul’s letter to the Romans: that we are saved by God’s grace alone – not by any efforts or accomplishments of our own.

His own efforts from there on were put toward spreading this gospel. And he though James, with his talk of good works, undermined his message.

Calvinists, on the other hand, place a fair amount of importance on the good works. Salvation comes from God’s grace, without question. But if we are, in fact, growing in grace, there should be some evidence of that – such as good works.

There is a place for both grace and works for Presbyterians. We just need to be careful not to put the cart before the horse. An easy mistake to make.

I have sat with too many Presbyterians of a certain age – in nursing homes, hospice rooms, or their homes – who clearly have something weighing on them. For a while, they are reluctant to express it, but eventually it comes out. They are afraid that they have not done enough– i.e., have a sufficiently long list of good works in their column. And they are particularly worried that it is now too late to do anything about it. They are old and infirm and have nothing – nothing! – to offer anyone.

So I remind them of what they already know: we are saved by God’s grace – not our actions, thank God, because it is way beyond our capabilities to perform such things. And I also tell them, because they need to hear it, that God still has some use for them. They may be stuck in their beds or their chairs, but they are, without fail, mighty pray-ers,

And kind souls who are ready to bring a ray of light to someone’s day.

If that is not a good work, I don’t know what is.