“Your grace has run out,” he said in his sternest Daddy voice.
“Daddy what is grace?” she bellowed from the back seat of the car.
“Grace is when you get many chances to do the right thing.” That was the simplest answer we could think to give.
That Sunday afternoon on the way home from church, my husband and I both struggled for words that could explain the concept of grace to our six year old daughter. Sometimes we get fed up with people – people who seem to make the same mistakes, make poor choices, and people who just don’t have it together. We run out of grace and we no longer have a heart for them. But thanks be to God that He doesn’t grow tired of me that easily and that grace is there to catch me when I fall. Thank God that He loves me enough to keep me in his grace.
What is Grace?
The word grace originates from the Greek word charis* – which means goodwill, loving, favor, merciful kindness by which God turns souls to him, increasing them in Christian faith, knowledge and and affection. Grace has everything to do with God – he dispenses it as he sees fit to whom he sees fit. Grace is something that is afforded to us, not because of anything we will ever do to deserve it. Grace is not given because of how we look, how much money we have, anything we can say or do or even how bad or good we are. Grace is the undeserved favor and love which God gives us freely through Jesus Christ.
Why Do I Need Grace?
I need God’s grace because I am far from perfect. I need His grace to love me, even when I don’t love myself. I need His grace to still love me despite my many mistakes. I need His grace to surround me because there is nothing I can do to earn his love. His Grace is free, unmerited, and undeserved. His grace is just plain awesome. But for the grace of God, what decisions would I have made? But for the grace of God, my life could be a different story. But for His grace, where would I be today? How would my life be different?
How Should I Respond to God’s Grace?
1. Realize That I Don’t Get Any Credit – No big heads are allowed when you come to God. Paul realized this when he said “But by the grace of God I am what I am” (1 Corinthians 15:10). My walk with God is nothing, my spirituality is nothing. But by His grace! His grace is bringing me through the difficult moments, bringing me through the tough stuff, bringing me through the awesome times, bringing me through the fire and bringing me through my weaknesses. It is only because of his grace that I am what I am, that I will become who I was destined to become – without grace, I am nothing – I have nothing! I don’t deserve any credit.
2. Don’t Abuse Your Grace – Just because we know that God’s grace it available does not mean we can abuse it. Grace does not give me a pass to live without boundaries, to continuously and intentionally harm myself (via sin) or others. Grace does not say “Well, Lord you know my heart” when I knew all along that I was doing the wrong thing. Romans 6:1-2 says “So what do we do? Keep on sinning so God can keep on forgiving? I should hope not.” Instead, we do not continue to live in sin- to know wrong and to continue in it is foolish and unwise.
3. Take a Praise Break Right Now – The opposite of grace is punishment, getting what we deserve. Thank God He doesn’t give me what I deserve. Thank God He doesn’t give my loved ones what they deserve. Thank God that even when I have to pay the physical consequences for my actions, there is still spiritual grace to make it through. Thank God for His open arms when I want to do the right thing but fall short. Thank God that I ‘m not who I used to be, doing what I used to do, saying what I used to say, thinking what I used to think! But for the grace of God, I could be crazy (although some might still argue that I am), delusional, depressed, downtrodden.
No matter where you are in your walk with Christ – be it a “strong” Christian or one whose relationship with Him is not as strong as it could be, be encouraged. Grace is walking with you, taking you through each moment of your life. Grace is giving you a second and a third and a fourth and a fifth chance to draw closer to God. Grace is giving you God’s unmerited favor and love. Grace continues to turn God’s heart toward you. Father, thank you not giving me what I deserve – thank you for grace that makes you love me over and over and over again.
