There is no perfection in life, not in ministry, not in relationships, or anything else. We are all going to mess up. We are going to hurt others. We are going to offend those we love, either intentionally or unintentionally. It is going to happen because we are all imperfect human beings. That is where grace comes in. God is full of grace and from this amazing gift we receive from Him, we get to extend it to others.
The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.
(John testified concerning him. He cried out, saying, “This is the one I spoke about when I said, ‘He who comes after me has surpassed me because he was before me.’”) Out of his fullness we have all received grace in place of grace already given. For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. John 1:14-17
Thank you Lord, for your amazing grace!
Grace is a gift from God. It is a gift we receive and therefore, freely give. Our God extends grace generously. Therefore, so should we. If we do not deserve it and cannot earn it, why do we expect that from others?
May we live in a posture of thanksgiving for His unending grace.
With that being said, just as we do not trample on God’s grace, we also do not take for granted the grace of our loved ones. We should always operate by the Spirit, asking to be led not by our own understanding or by our emotions, and not by selfish motives. Let us choose to humbly and lovingly serve, putting the interests of others above our own. This is the way of the servant of Christ who chooses to follow His example.
Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms. 1 Peter 4:10
You may have heard it said, “Do not expect you from others.” In other words, if you are very courteous and considerate, others may not show that same courtesy or consideration to you. Just recently, I said this in a conversation with a young person where I was trying to get them to understand that we are all different and do not do things the same or treat people in the same way. Another person’s perception of how to handle a particular situation may differ from ours. However, after I said this, the Holy Spirit revealed to me how that statement often comes from a place of pride. We think we have it all together. We think we are the ones who treat people the way others should. However, let’s be honest, that is not always the case. We are just as flawed as everyone else just in different ways. There is no perfection! We cannot attain it nor should we expect it from others. We do not set the bar. God does! He is the only One who is absolutely perfect in every way. Therefore, grace, lots and lots of grace! We all need it. For this very reason, we all need to extend it generously!
Grace and peace be yours in abundance through the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord. 2 Peter 1:2
Although, we do not set the bar. We are image bearers of the One who does. Therefore, we should always be committed to following the example of Christ in how we treat others. We reflect all that He is into this world. What we receive from Him, we freely and generously give to others. This commitment also means that we extend grace even when we don’t want to, even when our emotions tell us the other person intended to hurt us. We choose to extend grace because as much as we do not deserve the grace of God, He still showers us with His grace over and over again!
Heavenly Father, thank you for your amazing grace! We can’t earn it and we don’t deserve it. Yet, you continually give it generously. Lord, please help us to extend that same grace to others just as lovingly and generously. Remind us that we all are in need of grace. Purify our hearts to reflect all of your goodness and mercy into this world, to everyone that we meet. Help us to humble ourselves and keep a servant mindset that places the interests of others above our own. Strip us of any pride that may hinder us from seeing people as you do and loving others well without expecting anything in return. Help us to remember Christ’s sacrifice on the cross so that we may live in a posture of sacrificial love. May we allow grace to be the bridge that connects those who feel rejected, forgotten and misunderstood to a family of believers that will show them the kindness, love, and hope found in Christ, our Redeemer. May we be the bridge that connects them to you. In the Precious Name of Jesus, Amen and Amen.
Submitted by Lanette Black
