There's an old line among Christians that sharing the faith is one beggar telling another beggar where to find bread. I've been chewing on it all week, because it quietly takes apart the way a lot of us talk about God.
Think about what a beggar actually is. He has nothing to bring to the table. Whatever he eats, somebody else made it and somebody else handed it to him. So when he runs into another hungry man on the street, the only honest thing he can do is point down the block and tell him where the food is.

That's the Christian story if you take grace seriously. Paul asks a blunt question somewhere in Corinthians: what do you have that you didn't receive? And if it was given to you, what exactly are you bragging about? Most believers I know came to faith hungry, usually at a low point and well before they had anything figured out. God fed them first.

Where we go wrong is forgetting we're still beggars. Somewhere along the line we start acting like we run the kitchen, checking who deserves a plate, then act surprised nobody wants to come inside. Meanwhile we've got crumbs all over our own shirts.

And the beggar never stops needing bread. You don't eat once and graduate. I need grace today as much as the day I first walked in, and I'll need it again tomorrow. Remembering that keeps me honest when I'm talking to someone who hasn't found it yet.

I've spent a lot of time around people on the worst day of their lives. The distance between them and me is usually a couple of decisions and the grace of God, and I didn't earn either one. So if you're running on empty and can't even name why, you won't get a lecture from me. The bread is down the block. I'll probably be in line too. #ToChristAlone