Feature Friday: Halfway. . . Mansion?

I was reading the news this week and came across THIS news article.  A beautiful mansion right on the water in a luxury neighborhood in Florida might be getting turned into a drug and rehab clinic.  On top of the fact that its a mansion on the beach, this place also has a full-time professional chef, an on call staff, a private pool, a baby grand piano, a home theater, and who knows what else!

Let's be honest, that's the kind of place most of us dream of living in someday.  But we know its only a dream.  There's only two ways to get a home like that.  You can be a genius or savant who works hard and gets rich.  Or you can get lucky and hit the lottery, either by being born into the right family or by landing the magic megaball ticket.

But apparently, now there is a third option.  You can become a drug addict and go to rehab.  This has actually been causing a bit of a stir in the neighborhood and in general.  People have cried out that this will make the wealthy neighborhood unsafe and hurt its value.  Let's be honest, that's very possible.  In addition, some of the neighbors simply don't want to be near those who need rehab.  Others have argued that drug abusers should not be rewarded for their mistakes with such luxury as it sends a very confusing message.



I don't have all of the answers on that, but this news article certainly did strike me.  The lavish and luxurious life of the rich is being offered to the broken and destitute.  The amazing life of a mansion is being opened up to those who didn't earn it and don't deserve it.  Those who have squandered their life through bad choices and addictions are being given a second chance that is more magnificent than most of our first chances! 

Do you know what word comes to my mind?

Grace.

What a beautiful word!  Grace is when that which is totally undeserved is given freely anyway.  Grace is unearned blessing.  The Bible tells us that our God is a gracious God.  He gives freely to those who don't deserve it.  We may not feel like drug addicts who need rehab, but each of us has been bound up by one sin or another.  We have failed one another, ourselves, and, worst of all, God.  We are not just guilty of breaking the laws of our nation, but the laws of God.  We have a problem called sin and we are unable to fix it.  We may not be drug addicts, but we all need help.

This story of broken and undeserving addicts being brought into a mansion to receive grace and help reminds me of God's great grace to us.


But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.  -- 1 Peter 2:9-10

For those of us who have been found and saved by Christ, we have received an infinitely better deal!  God called us out of the darkness that was our broken and sinful lives and brought us into His wonderful light.  He didn't avoid our dirt and brokenness but instead reached out to heal us.  He has given us forgiveness and mercy, cleaned us up, and made us His people.  We had no hope and then He gave us hope and new life.

If the story of addicts being given help in a mansion seems like an amazingly generous and gracious offer, then be all the more amazed at the goodness of our God.  He has done the same and more for us!  This weekend, may your heart be overjoyed by the grace and generosity of God through Christ and may the story of this halfway house be just one thing that reminds you of how good He has been to you.  May we declare the praises of the good and generous God who called us out of darkness and into His wonderful light.