Grace

Grace does not make us impervious to suffering. Nor does it give us plain sailing in life. Any gospel that attempts to preach grace as such is severely shortchanging its audience.

The beauty of grace is precisely that it transforms the experience of suffering such that we come to experience and understand God’s love for us in an even deeper way than before. Grace gives us the ability to praise God for His faithfulness even when we are in the worst situations. Grace is what enabled Joseph to continue to believe in God’s faithfulness when he had been betrayed by his brothers and sold into slavery, as well as when he was falsely accused of rape by Potiphar’s wife and thrown into prison.

Grace it is that enables us to see opposition and persecution as allies in disguise, for it is through these friends that we are slowly but surely freed of our attachment to ego and pride.

Grace it is that helps us to trust in God’s love when all sensory evidence seems to show that He has abandoned us.

Grace it is that helps us to respond with kindness to those whom we believe do not deserve kindness. For grace opens the door to compassion in our hearts.

Grace reminds us of who we are – that we are Sons and Daughters of our Heavenly Father. That we have been redeemed and made perfect by Christ’s blood. And grace fills us with courage and faith from God to live as His Children would – with faith, hope, and love.

Grace is given to all who would receive it. May you open your heart to Grace today!

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The past week and this week at work are filled with daunting challenges of every scale in the lives of people I know. Including myself. I ask God to give us His grace that even against the strongest winds of discouragement, we can walk in the firm confidence of His love. May we entrust our entire selves and future into our loving Father’s hands. And may we rejoice in Christ’s invitation to carry our cross and walk with Him. For it is only when we are willing to die with Him that we will rise with Him and share in His glory.