I’m in the midst of decorating and DIY again, jobs I loathe with a passion (but since I cannot afford others to do these things, they are jobs that must be done.) It never ceases to amaze me how much I can spend at DIY shops and how little I seem to have to show for such spending: paint that is soon used up and the tins thrown away, wood or plastic which seem to cost far more than the things for which they’re used, and so on.
Once more, I am relieved to remember that “in the Christian life, nothing, nothing at all, can be purchased at the do-it-yourself shop.” (Harry Blamires). Grace is a free gift. I don’t have to trawl the aisles at B & Q, wondering what exactly what I need is called and where it will be situated. Salvation is not found in an aisle at B & Q; grace is not found on any website for online purchase. Eternal life isn’t something I have to put together like flat-pack furniture; peace and rest aren’t things I have to cut to size. God is able to make all grace abound to me (see Rom 5:20), and that’s not just a one-off situation! (see James 4:6)
We often seem to approach life rather like we approach DIY, doing our best with imperfect tools (I still don’t see why paint tins are so difficult to open) and ‘bodging’ it when we run out of materials at crucial moments.
That’s not the way God wants us to live. Instead, Paul reminds us that ‘God is able to bless you abundantly, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work.’ (2 Cor 9:8) We’re urged to talk with God about our everyday needs (Matt 6:9-13) and trust our heavenly Father to provide for every situation. It’s a relief to know that in the situations which really matter, I’m not on my own.