Amazing grace, how sweet the sound, that saved a wretch like me.
I once was lost, but now I'm found; was blind, but now I see!
Grace...it is amazing, isn't it? It's so amazing, that we really don't even fully understand it.
We, at our worst, are given this amazing gift from God...unmerited, totally undeserved grace. We exhibit faith, and God showers us with His amazing grace. Grace that covers all of our sinfulness and writes off our unworthiness. Grace that transforms our imperfection into God's holiness.
What does God expect from us in response to His amazing gift? He expects us to, in turn, gift others with similar grace...never can it match the gift that He gives, but in some small way it can emulate His graciousness and others may start to see the grace in us as something unusual in this grace-less world of ours.
For our world does not too easily dispense grace, does it? More often than not, we experience (and deal out) critical responses and reactions to our shortfalls and errors, giving those around us "just what they deserve." But when we extend the hand of grace to someone in even a small manner...overlooking an intentional slight; ignoring a hurtful comment; not calling attention to a missed step; and then in larger ways...forgiving betrayal; relinquishing our desire for revenge for deep hurts...then we have exhibited to others that we truly understand grace----that we really get it. We get the amazing ability not to deal out what may be "deserved"...we have been gifted, and we can in turn gift others.
When Jesus told the parable of the unmerciful servant who had been forgiven a great debt and then in turn forced the hand of someone who owed him a pittance, He was teaching us that the grace that we have been given should be recognized for the great gift that it is, and that we in turn should be ready to show grace to those in our lives who may not have done everything to meet our expectations. Who are we to hold anyone to a standard of perfection when we have fallen so short?
Amazing grace --- be amazed by it, and amaze others with it. Once you have received it, don't keep it to yourself! Pass it on in Jesus' name...what a great opportunity to explain this amazing gift to someone who needs to hear of it's availability....through faith!
I once was lost, but now I'm found; was blind, but now I see!
Grace...it is amazing, isn't it? It's so amazing, that we really don't even fully understand it.
We, at our worst, are given this amazing gift from God...unmerited, totally undeserved grace. We exhibit faith, and God showers us with His amazing grace. Grace that covers all of our sinfulness and writes off our unworthiness. Grace that transforms our imperfection into God's holiness.
What does God expect from us in response to His amazing gift? He expects us to, in turn, gift others with similar grace...never can it match the gift that He gives, but in some small way it can emulate His graciousness and others may start to see the grace in us as something unusual in this grace-less world of ours.
For our world does not too easily dispense grace, does it? More often than not, we experience (and deal out) critical responses and reactions to our shortfalls and errors, giving those around us "just what they deserve." But when we extend the hand of grace to someone in even a small manner...overlooking an intentional slight; ignoring a hurtful comment; not calling attention to a missed step; and then in larger ways...forgiving betrayal; relinquishing our desire for revenge for deep hurts...then we have exhibited to others that we truly understand grace----that we really get it. We get the amazing ability not to deal out what may be "deserved"...we have been gifted, and we can in turn gift others.
When Jesus told the parable of the unmerciful servant who had been forgiven a great debt and then in turn forced the hand of someone who owed him a pittance, He was teaching us that the grace that we have been given should be recognized for the great gift that it is, and that we in turn should be ready to show grace to those in our lives who may not have done everything to meet our expectations. Who are we to hold anyone to a standard of perfection when we have fallen so short?
Amazing grace --- be amazed by it, and amaze others with it. Once you have received it, don't keep it to yourself! Pass it on in Jesus' name...what a great opportunity to explain this amazing gift to someone who needs to hear of it's availability....through faith!
1 comment:
I pray that through my faith in Christ Jesus, I can receive the ability to graciously forgive. I pray God's Grace will empower my heart to love and forgive unconditionally.
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