Grace is amazing, and works.
“I believe no man was ever scolded out of his sins.”— William Cowper
Cowper—considered one of the greatest poets of his time—was friends with John Newton, author of the song, “Amazing Grace.” Cowper and Newton both knew something of God’s amazing grace.
No doubt, the statement above, “no man was ever scolder out of his sins,” comes from personal conviction via personal experience. William was institutionalized for mental illness. The stigma, judgment, even abandonment didn’t shut Cowper down. He went on to put his confidence in God and offer hope and grace to the world through his gift of poetry.
When will we learn that blaming, shaming, and shunning only reveals the darkness of our own hearts? Instead of helping the person we’re scolding, we only serve to hurt ourselves—isolating our own lonely hearts from the healing grace of God.
It’s grace and kindness that (eventually) leads to life change.