second chances – Moment to Moment (Bible blog)

Grace giver?

It’s very interesting to me that for how hard Paul fought for the idea of salvation by grace for the Gentiles, when it came to his personal relationships, he failed to show grace to Mark.

Mark had failed Paul and Barnabas by abandoning them on their previous missionary journey.

Why Mark left is unclear, but whatever the reason, Paul was unwilling to give him a second chance.

It made me think: how often am I like Paul, failing to show grace to those who disappoint me, with those who fail to “measure up” to my standards? I can think of too many times.

I want to be a grace giver…especially in my personal relationships with my brothers and sisters in Christ.

Are you a grace giver?

Perhaps the thing we all need to remember about our brothers and sisters in Christ when they disappoint us is this:

God knows their heart. And despite their weaknesses and failings, the Holy Spirit bears witness to them just he does with us, telling them, ‘You are God’s child.’

He makes no distinction between us and them, cleansing their hearts by faith. (Acts 15:8-9)

So though they fail us, let’s show them the same grace God has poured out on them…and us.

Giving people a second chance

We see in this passage a break in the partnership between Paul and Barnabas. And it came because of a young man named Mark.

Mark had initially joined them on their first missionary journey, but for some reason had decided to go home early.

Why, we don’t know. Perhaps he had been homesick. Maybe he hadn’t been ready to handle the opposition they faced.

Whatever his reasons, Paul apparently felt they weren’t good ones, and he had felt abandoned by Mark.

So when Barnabas suggested taking Mark again on a second missions trip, Paul vehemently nixed the idea. Barnabas got so upset about this, that he parted company from Paul.

Barnabas then went with Mark to do missions work in Cyprus, while Paul went his own way with Silas.

I can totally understand Paul’s feelings. It’s hard to work with someone you can’t trust. But in this case, he forgot the very thing he preached: grace.

Later, he would come to recognize this. Given a second chance, Mark proved himself faithful, to Barnabas, then to Peter, and ultimately to Paul. Some time later, Paul wrote to Timothy, saying,

Get Mark and bring him with you, because he is helpful to me in my ministry. (2 Timothy 4:11)

Ultimately, when you think about it, there had to be grace on both sides. Paul in forgiving Mark’s past failings, and Mark in forgiving any hard feelings he had had on Paul’s rejection of him.

But they both gave each other second chances and were blessed because of it.

How about you? Has someone let you down? Has someone hurt you?

Just as God has given us second chance after second chance, we need to give others second chances too.

Am I saying that we must put our full faith in them right away after they have failed us? No. But we should give them a chance to earn that trust.

And as they prove themselves worthy of that trust, gradually let go of your reservations, and start believing in them again.

Our Father is the God of second chances. As his children, shouldn’t we be the same?