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Truth & Character Thursdays
Extending Grace
As we age, we learn more and more about ourselves. We learn our shortcomings and our strengths. We learn our characteristics and our typical responses to different situations.
Hopefully, as we age we also learn to extend grace both to ourselves and to others.
I would say that extending grace is not a natural response for most of us. Our gut reaction is to get even - it’s revenge and seeking justice.
From my own experience, I would say that seeking revenge and justice do not give us peace in our lives. Applying grace does allow us to have a level of peace in our lives despite what happens.
Extending grace does not mean that we condone bad things that are happening. In fact, there are most certainly times where seeking justice for a situation is incredibly important.
But grace is a beautiful thing. So what is grace? The dictionary would tell you that grace is courteous goodwill, or free and unmerited favor.
I like to think of grace as accepting that people are flawed and broken and loving them in spite of their shortcomings.
As we grow and mature, some people get better at applying grace. Others get worse.
When I think about myself, I want to be someone who gets better and more loving towards other people, not less.
So ask yourself - are you growing in grace? Or are you a stickler who holds something over other people?
Interesting Fact #1
Grace is an essential part of God’s character.
Interesting Fact #2
Grace can be variously defined as “God’s favor toward the unworthy” or “God’s benevolence on the undeserving.”
Interesting Fact #3
Anyone who has ever received a gift understands that a gift is much different from a loan, which requires repayment or return by the recipient. The fact that grace is a gift means that nothing is owed in return.
Photo of the day - Grace
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
Quote of the day
“Love is holy because it is like grace--the worthiness of its object is never really what matters.” ― Marilynne Robinson
Article of the day - Two things we all need to know about grace
Economists say, “There’s no such thing as a free lunch.” Nothing in this world comes for free. Even when we don’t pay and a friend picks up our meal, someone is still paying for it.
Grace works the same way. Now, before you say that I’m wrong because grace is free, don’t forget that grace was not free. It was costly. It cost God His son, and it cost Jesus His life.
You Can’t Earn What Is Free
What does that mean for us? It means we can’t earn our salvation or buy God's favor. Jesus paid the penalty for our sin (Ephesians 1:7). Paul tells a church in Ephesus, “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith — and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God — not by works, so that no one can boast” (Ephesians 2:8).
Salvation comes by grace through faith. It is not earned through attending church, memorizing your Bible, or avoiding alcohol. No amount of good works will earn God's favor. God can't love you any more than He already does. He loves us fully and completely. If we miss this, we’ll spend our entire lives trying to earn something we already have — like that person who searches for their glasses that already sit on top of their head. Instead of joyfully serving such a gracious God, we’ll find ourselves slaves to fear and doubt, spending our time trying to grasp and maintain God’s approval.
Grace Never Runs Away
Sometimes grace is hardest when we’ve messed up big time. When we sin and feel rightful regret because we have hurt the God we love, we want to earn His love back. Like a husband bringing home flowers for his wife to reconcile after a fight, we want to bring God something, anything, that will make us feel worthy of His love again. There is nothing we can bring God to change His disposition toward us. It is not your behavior that merits grace; it’s faith. C. S. Lewis wrote, “The Christian does not think God will love us because we are good, but that God will make us good because He loves us.”
Maybe a free lunch and free grace do not exist, but because of God's great love, He picked up your tab. And through faith, you have been lavished with free grace (Ephesians 1:8).
Question of the day - What does it mean to you to extend grace?
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What does it mean to you to extend grace?
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