I am striving to be more grace-filled and some days I do a pretty good job of extending grace to both myself and those around me.
Then there are the other days.
The days when the alarm clocks fail and we are late getting out the door, kids forget things they “need” for their day, or I finish toting people to activities and arrive at my office to remember I didn’t turn the crockpot on for dinner. The type of days where other drivers think both lanes of traffic are for their use; or ones where the grocery shopper in front of me clearly missed math class when they covered counting “ten items or less”.
And I respond with something less than grace; a loud sigh, a rolled eye, an under-the-breath exasperated comment.
You know what I’m talking about, right? Oh, please tell me I am not alone in this!
Some weeks it seems more of these days are strung together than I would like to admit; but God is digging around in the tender soil of my heart, and He is growing grace there. Slowly but surely, I am seeing my knee-jerk reactions soften into expressions of kindness and pliancy.
It is really something to marvel at. How God takes our sin-filled, selfish responses and transforms us more into His likeness as we surrender ourselves to Him. When we ask for help in changing the ugly parts of us into something that honors Him, He delights in making us new.
He extended saving grace to us. We were not worthy of His gift. We could do nothing to earn it; and still, He offered GRACE. Oh sweet, amazing grace!
Just the thought of what Christ did for me, makes my attempts at justifying my ugly behavior with
“but they…”
absolutely futile.
Grace doesn’t care if we are frazzled or running late. Grace extends love and compassion, regardless of the circumstances that surround us. Grace is kind. Grace shows the love of Christ to others.
God is everywhere…even at our wit's end. He will enable us to extend grace, when we allow Him to.
Honestly, it’s kind of fun to watch people’s reactions when we give them grace instead of what the world standards say they deserve for their actions.
We are instructed in Ephesians 4:32,
“Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.”
So on those hard days, when grace isn’t the first thought that pops into my mind…I want God to quickly remind me to be generous with kindness. If I’m going to err, let me err on the side of grace!
Father God, you are so generous to us. Thank you for your saving grace. You call us to be kind and compassionate. I want to be a grace-filled woman who honors You with my words and actions. Lord, please create in me a clean heart. Use Your Holy Spirit to make me aware of my responses and convict me of my poor choices. Thank you that you are everywhere, even at my wit’s end! Amen.
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