Action Step #4: Extend grace rather than outrage
Outrage is everywhere right now. And before you think I’m reacting to the social media explosion from Tuesday’s election, where I’m really taking aim is our hearts.
Outrage has almost become theater—a spectacle designed to steer us into the extreme positions I wrote about last week. But it’s not just about the big societal things. Whether we’re reacting to an opening ceremony at the Olympics, losing our minds over political partisanship, or complaining over a lunch date with friends about the “latest stunt” our husband pulled, a steady expression of outrage hurts our relationships, our hearts, and most devastatingly, our Christian witness. In fact, studies show that outrage is a contagion. As one piece in Psychology Today put it, anger is more contagious than joy. Yikes.
There is an antidote to outrage: It’s grace.
For followers of Christ, grace is not only the antidote to outrage; it’s the very way of Jesus. We might be smart to take a WWJD approach and look at His grace-to-outrage ratio. A quick word search for grace reveals 114 uses in the New Testament. The number of times Jesus flipped tables was two. That’s a pretty good formula for us.
To my shame, I realize that too often I do not extend grace the way Jesus did. Subconsciously, I’d rather make clear where I think someone is wrong rather than trying to find commonalities and be grace-filled with the differences. That means, at times, even letting things go that I view as incredibly important for the sake of maintaining the relationship or the mental and emotional health of all involved. It also means something else.
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