If you’re talking about a workout, ten push-ups isn’t very strenuous.  Fifteen sets of ten, now you might be getting somewhere.

Last night during Bible study, there was a Gospel illustration involving reindeer poop and push-ups.  If you wanted the poop, one of our leaders was going to do ten push-ups.  If you didn’t want the poop, the same leader would still do ten push-ups.  Reindeer poop is, of course, whoppers and chocolate-covered raisins.

The point was that the gift of the Gospel is freely given, and that Jesus pays the price whether or not you accept that gift.

Now, at first I thought this was the lamest illustration ever, even though the push-ups got interesting around the seventh person.  Honestly, I thought it was meant for kids in elementary school, not college students.

But after all of the excitement, our leader asked how we felt about it, and the reasons we did or did not take the poop.

Some people said they felt bad for the victim.  Some people said they took the poop out of guilt – they didn’t want the push-ups to be for nothing.

I said that I wanted to do the push-ups for him.

Erm… everyone say it with me.  I was illustrating the fact that I feel like I need to earn this grace.  Which, of course, is impossible.

I really need to have the attitude of the writer of Proverbs 20:22 (writer of psalm=psalmist… writer of proverb=proverbist?), King Solomon.  Do not say “I’ll pay you back for this wrong!” Wait for the LORD, and he will deliver you.

If anyone is curious, I still took a chocolate-covered raisin.