Extend Grace
When is the last time you’ve been SO thankful for grace extended to you? God gives it abundantly so we can too!
But whatever I am now it is all because God poured out such kindness and grace upon me—and not without results: for I have worked harder than all the other apostles, yet actually I wasn’t doing it, but God working in me, to bless me.
1 Corinthians 15:10
Whoa. Grace. It’s a simple word, but a very deep concept. I believe we can’t wrap our minds around grace and what to do with it because it is what God gives us … in abundance. From the moment He died on the cross for each of us until just a few second ago when my attitude was stinky … God gives us grace. He loves us HUGELY, even when we don’t deserve it. And He gives us love and grace countless times a day.
At one point, our family looked at our toys and realized, we had a TON of matchbox cars. More than we could ever play with in one day. So, when a friend came over, we gave them a car. We had been given a lot of cars. Therefore we gave them away. Simple.
We should see cars and grace in the same way. We have been given so much, so let’s give them away! (and oh, how both can make someone feel good … the grace for eternity)
Let’s look at just a few ways to extend grace …
- Forgive. Man, it’s hard to forgive sometimes. It doesn’t feel good to be mad … but somehow we find it a comfortable place to be … holding a grudge. Why don’t we loosen the grip on that grudge and be ready to give away grace. Think how you feel when you are forgiven. “
- Listen. Take time to hear someone’s story. When you know where they are coming from and where they have been it explains a lot about why they act and make decisions the way they do. And when you know the “big picture”, it is so much more natural to extend grace to them.
- Accept. Grace is a wonderful gift, but sometimes it is hard to accept. It’s hard to forgive ourselves sometimes. Remember: we can never give grace away if we haven’t accepted it ourselves. God is more than ready to give you grace … grace to heal you and for you to give away.
I heard once that GRACE can stand for “God’s Riches At Christ’s Expense”. Grace costs us nothing and yet it is abundant in our lives … let’s start giving it away!
Camper Corner:
When I was a little girl, I refused to eat my dinner. Therefore, I got no dinner. Late that night before I went to bed, my mom brought me a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. Did I deserve it? NO! My mom showed me GRACE. What are some ways you can show grace to others, when it seems like they don’t deserve it?
