Grace

I was listening to a sermon the other day while driving and the pastor was talking about grace - how grace is the definition of our lives in Christ and the very tapestry that weaves our days together.

He reminded his audience that grace is unmerited favor.

I struggle so with this concept. My life could be defined as piling one accomplishment on top of the next in an effort to prove that somehow, I am enough. I like to check things off and know that I'm contributing to the world at large and doing things that matter to others. I have a big portion of people-pleasing and an even bigger portion of pride to go along with it. I like to look the part and seek perfection. Grace does not fit with this life...not in the way that I would run it if God had not reached down and grabbed my heart out of the muck I found myself in (and at times still find myself mired down by).

The fact that God looked out from eternity and chose me to become one of His children is something that I do not think on nearly enough. When I do pause to contemplate the reality of this though, I am completely blown away by the fact that He extended His grace to me; not because of any accomplishments, not because of how 'good' I was, not because of anything that I ever have done or ever will do. I could never do anything to earn this gift, never accomplish anything impressive enough to improve my standing before this holy God. I recognize that it was pure grace that ever brought me to the point of accepting Christ's ultimate gift for me but I also recognize that this grace is something that should be reflected constantly in my life, not only in the way that I act towards others but also in the way I act towards myself. Grace does not end at the cross - it should continue to be part of every moment of life that we are given!

There is such a challenge there for me - I can be so very hard on myself and I know that I certainly don't always extend grace to others. I wonder how my life would look if I were to daily remind myself that God's grace is still present, that He is not waiting for me to prove that I'm worthy of His affection and love, and if I were to live as nothing more than a filled up grace receptacle extending what I have received to those whose paths I cross. How different I think I would be if I were to see everything in life as a reminder of His unmerited favor and if I were to allow the concept of what that really means to sink into my heart and soul completely.

Grace continues to amaze me. There truly are not words enough to describe how overwhelmed I am at this unmerited favor that God has so richly bestowed on my life.

Lord, Please help me to fully understand the reality of your grace and how you desire that I share it with others in my life. Help me to set aside the quest for perfection and focus instead on how your grace reflects so much better from a heart that is captured completely by You.