Grace Given Freely
Grace Given Freely
Stopping to take a breath and have a cup of coffee. I started to consider God’s grace and how grateful I am for God’s immeasurable grace to me and the people I meet each day.
When was the last time you needed grace? Were you able to give grace to someone else near you that needed it?
The simple definition I have grown up with for grace is an unmerited favor. There is a host of different ways grace can be expressed. The Greek word (charis) means, “That which brings delight, joy, happiness, Grace from God.” How often are we grateful we don’t get what we deserve? Unmerited favor. How often do we show grace? Unmerited favor.
There are 124 scripture verses regarding Grace; 17 of them are paired with peace.
God had made man in His image and likeness and wanted to have a relationship with mankind. Then, mankind became doomed by his act of free will disobedience bringing sin into the world. God so loved mankind that He sent His only Son to be the perfect sacrifice to bring us back in right relationship with Him.
He could have just started over. He didn’t. He gave us a free will because that is true love. God loved us from the beginning even knowing we would have problems, knowing we could not help but be self-centered without His intervention via Grace, God’s unmerited favor. He provided a way for us to enjoy that father to “son or daughter” relationship with Him as He intended it when He created us.
We can say no. We can say we’re not interested in that relationship. Yet, in God’s graciousness, He allows us the freedom to choose. But if you want that relationship He has made the way. God built a bridge, not a wall. He chose us, made a way for us even if we don’t choose Him.
As Christ followers, we have learned that God’s Grace was not limited to our salvation to live in eternity with Him, although that would have been enough. Here in the present, God’s Grace is extended to our everyday living. Paul speaks about his weaknesses and how God’s Grace is sufficient in those very weaknesses. When faced with my mistakes, weaknesses, temper, impatience, selfishness, lack of understanding or even lack of wanting to understand, I find that if I’m willing to ask God for help, He provides the Grace necessary to change.
Instead of Grace how many of us pray for patience? I learned a long time ago if you pray for patience you will have lots of opportunities to need patience. But Grace is freely given and covers all needs for wisdom, understanding, strength, love, forgiveness, and patience because of His Grace.
There was a time I remember I had a “grace was needed” exercise several years ago.
While I was in my kitchen, I was in a whining mood. We had lots of foster kids at the time, and life was really demanding. We had our kids and up to 10 of everyone else’s. It was a full house with lots of needs, emotions, and energy. You can feel it coming, can’t you? I wanted time to make a moment all about me.
Forgetting that a friend was coming over, I was standing in my kitchen with windows open wide. Complaining to God; I said, “I’m tired of being the understanding one, I’m tired of being the strong one, I’m tired of being the one giving love.”
You get the direction this annoying prayer is going. God didn’t strike me with lightning, although the friend who stayed in her car as she’s listening to this rant thought this could happen.
When done with my whining, I was quiet and heard the still small voice in my heart, “Didn’t you ask me for understanding?” My answer back was, “Yes.”
“Did I provide you the understanding?”
“Yes”
“Didn’t you ask for strength? Did I provide you the strength? Didn’t you ask me for patience? Did I provide the patience? Didn’t you ask me for love? Did I provide you, love?” The answer was yes to all the questions.
So, how did grace fit? In every circumstance that came up, where I felt grace was needed, I didn’t have it in me to give. Often because the person’s actions and attitudes on the other end didn’t deserve grace only God could provide what was needed.
But isn’t God amazing?
He knew each circumstance. Even though I didn’t feel like the person or situation deserved understanding God knew exactly what the person needed and because I asked from my weakness He was able to provide me abundantly with strength, love understanding or patience through His Grace.
God’s Grace would provide the cover for my weakness. His Grace was free; I didn’t earn it, I often didn’t deserve it, but grace was free to me. I just needed to ask and receive. Patience is not free, patience comes with a cost, generally hard fought but many times not achieved. Thus we were both blessed and significantly impacted in every situation. I found over time that I didn’t have to have the needed patience just the Grace and with the Grace would come patience and peace.
We think of God’s Grace regarding our life in eternity. However, Paul shows us that it is because of God’s Grace, our lives here can be rich. God’s Grace frees us from being legalistic because as we understand our weakness, we become more dependent on God. As we understand His Grace, His Spirit gives us the ability to be gracious to others.
Today, can you stop, and just for a moment consider God’s grace in your life?
