Grace…

Receiving grace, extending grace.  Why?

I really wanted to provoke some thoughts about grace in your hearts this week.  I pulled some scripture and questioned what I felt about grace and do I extend grace often?  Am I grateful for the grace God has given me?  God shared abundantly His grace with us.  

As I think about grace, I remember my mother’s many lessons, one being “it is always better to give than to receive.”  So, let’s think about giving and accepting grace and why we would extend grace to others.  

I believe grace and humility are the most important in our relationships with others.  Grace is an extension of love.  It can also be one of the hardest actions for us to understand why we should extend it.  Sometimes it is difficult to give grace to those who we may feel are not entitled to receive.  But is that not the very definition of grace?  Something that is is not deserved?  Grace is given when we set ourselves aside and love even though it is not deserved. Many scriptures speak to God’s grace as crucial to our walk with Him.  If it was not for God’s grace, something we do not deserve, how would we be in relationship with God? But is knowing and receiving God’s grace that we can extend grace, love and compassion to those around us.  

Why should we extend grace?  How does it affect us when we extend grace?   When extending grace it can ignites forgiveness, understanding and most certainly care for one another.  We all sin, fail and are in need of grace.  If we hope for and ask for grace we need to also be able to give grace.  Receiving or giving grace lightens our burdens and gives us hope.  It can strengthen our spirits and our thoughts.

Ephesians 4:7

“But to each one of us grace has been given as Christ apportioned it.”

Ephesians 2:8-9

“For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith - and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God.  Not by works, so that no one can boast”

Hebrews 4:16

“Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need”

May you find grace this week and may you have an opportunity to give grace.