Laced with GRACE
29 Nov
Lace with Grace!, hmm. Grace. Grace. What is this “Grace” thing we speak of?
According to the dictionary:Grace:
8.Theology.
| a. | the freely given, unmerited favor and love of God. |
| b. | the influence or spirit of God operating in humans to regenerate or strengthen them. |
| c. | a virtue or excellence of divine origin: the Christian graces. |
| d. | Also called state of grace. the condition of being in God’s favor or one of the elect. |
According to Jan Silvious, grace is all that God is in the face of all that we are not.
But what does that MEAN?!?
To me, grace is what God gives us when we think we have nothing left. Grace is His goodness when our lives are inundated with the “bad”. Grace is God’s love when there seems to be only emptiness.
“But He said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.’”
2 Corinthians 12:9 NIV
Grace is God’s favor when we find ourselves in an impossible situation. Grace is being given a second chance when we think we have run out of chances. Grace is God’s gift of hope when the world around us seems hopeless.
“But by the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace to me was not without effect. No, I worked harder than all of them. Yet not I, but the grace of God that was with me.
1 Corinthians 15:10 NIV
Grace is that which God gives us when we think there is nothing left to find. Grace is God’s last gift to us when we think we have opened all our presents.Like so many of God’s gifts, grace is a mystery and a miracle. Grace is what God offers us when we think there is nothing left to accept.
And yet, how do we acquire grace? It’s rather simple, really. You ask for it.
Lord, please help us to do what we feel we are incapable of doing on our own. Grant us the grace of a second chance, a final pardon and an eternal hope. Let us, once again, be amazed at your endless gift of love to us, your children.
This we ask in Jesus’ name, amen.
When was the last time you experienced God’s grace? When was the last time you graced someone else?
Great post CJ.. Grace is something I am constantly needing to be reminded of. I have no clue where I learned this but here is a favorite perspective on grace:
Mercy, is when we don’t get what we deserve. (punishment for sin- basically- separation from God… hell. Most often used in an old testament context- as in asking God for mercy)
Grace, is when we get the opposite, of what we deserve. (to be with God eternally)
I’m praying with you- CJ….Lord help me to extend grace to the people you bring into my life…
Thank you for this. I’ve never really understood what grace was. I’m going to keep coming back to this over and over again. thanks
Good subject. Most people just don’t get grace. They work themselves into a frenzy trying to be worthy of God’s love and miss the whole point of grace. Grace is giving away the best part of you and asking for nothing in return. That’s what God does for us everyday. I’m so glad we don’t have to earn our way into heaven. We get there by His grace and His grace alone. Great job.
Here’s an acronym I know. God’s Riches At Christ’s Expence.
Grace is the only reason I’ll get into Heaven. It’s the only reason I’m alive. It’s the reason I’m still married.
CJ,
“But He said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.’â€
I love this scripture. Great Post.!! Love to you, Lynn
grace. My whole life is grace; I’m only beginning to realize that the past few years.
wonderful post!
Praise to God for His grace! When I seriously thought I had gone insane, He saved me.
What a mighty God we serve! Awesome post CJ.
I am totally agreeing with Amydeanne. My WHOLE life is laced with His grace. I can’t go through a day without asking for His grace. Thank you for sharing your thoughts on grace today – wonderful post