Is grace that amazing?
8 Feb 2008
“Amazing grace”– what does that even mean? How does that look in my life? The term “grace of God” is thrown around pretty loosely, which doesn’t give the opportunity to really consider what that really means.
And today, it really hit me. My story as a Christian is pretty uneventful, well, at least when there are stories of redemption from people who lived their lives in drugs, alcohol, sex, etc and can pinpoint where they saw God’s grace save them from whatever they were involved in.
I grew up in a Christian household, became a Christian at the age of 4… and my life reflected that. I did not really have a time where God was knocking at my heart and I felt the overwhelming sense of God’s grace in my life.
But in the idea of redemption in my life, grace takes on a very different and personal meaning when really taking a look at how grace takes away the regrets and pitfalls in my life. When I take the time to look at the ugly sides and never-to-be-shown areas of my life, I realize how much God’s grace plays a part in my everyday life. It was there for me in the hard times of life, it influenced who my friends are/were/will be, how I get through every day, how I show love and grace to others.
The well-known verse Romans 5:8 says “And while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” If I lived my life in full knowledge of this idea, my life would look so different. I would fully understand what Jesus’ grace did for me and I would want to do nothing else besides show grace to others.
Since doing that is not fully possible, since I am a sinful woman, how does grace show up in my life? Is it really that big of a deal? Is it possible?
I know there are areas and people that I need to show grace (and forgiveness) to. I guess it just takes the grace of God to be able to do overcome my sinfulness to show that grace to others.
If we all showed more grace to each other because of the overwhelming grace we received from Christ’s death on the cross, the world would be a much better and graceful place to live.
How can you and I continue to strive to show that grace to all that we encounter, not just people, but institutions and groups of people and churches… pretty much anyone?
Tagged: grace
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Comment by Paul
11.53 am on 8 Feb 2008
Thanks Katie. For me one of the amazing things about grace is the breakdown of the cycle of karma, an eye for an eye, bloody revenge, personal generational hurt and hate… It offers hope that reconciliation is possible and real in the person of Jesus. That my humanity can be restored.
I think though it doesn’t hide from the reality of consequences – what i’ve done and will do as an impact on my life now and to come – but grace helps me face that reality, in that sense grace is not cheap…
Comment by Katie
9.22 pm on 13 Feb 2008
Paul– I really like your insight. That grace doesn’t take away reality but helps us deal with the reality– awesome!
Comment by Marc
1.12 pm on 8 Feb 2008
Hi Katie
I’ll swap you ‘uneventful’ for my ‘far too eventful’ if you want:)
Comment by Katie
9.23 pm on 13 Feb 2008
Marc- Maybe! It’d at least add a little more interesting details to my life!! Hope it isn’t far too eventful now! Thanks for sharing!
Comment by Laura Anne
1.08 am on 9 Feb 2008
Thanks Katie.
I like Marc have a ‘far too eventful’ story.
But I will say that one of the most encouraging things that lead me to know Jesus was not the testimony of the ‘far too eventful’ but the testimony of growing up in a grace filled, God’s loved filled home – I could see the amazing effect that it had in so many people that had been blessed with that kind of upbringing – not that it was all milk and honey, but that they shared something my non-Christian family could never understand without coming to accept God’s love and grace first.
And as for showing grace, tonight I was being most ungracious towards a checkout machine…I wonder what hope there is for me being gracious to a human being… eek!
Comment by Katie
9.40 pm on 13 Feb 2008
Laura– Thanks for your insight! That is a good point about being in a family that had God’s grace in it. I also totally know what you mean when it comes to giving grace to inanimate objects– I think that’s where I need to give grace the most, and have the hardest time doing so! Actually, other drivers are another one I need help with… the list just goes on and on ;-)
Comment by Laura Anne
12.38 pm on 14 Feb 2008
Ah yes…drivers. Especially when they don’t seem to know how to use that mechanical device (what’s it called again? – oh yes an INDICATOR) on roundabouts.
Grrr.
:)
Comment by Beth
6.02 pm on 14 Feb 2008
“How can you and I continue to strive to show that grace to all that we encounter, not just people, but institutions and groups of people and churches… pretty much anyone?”
Whoa. Heavy. I feel like a call in my life is to share grace with others, the grace Jesus has poured all over my eventful life. But I had never thought of the institutions and groups of people and churches angle. Thanks for making me think more broadly.
Comment by James Prescott
10.36 pm on 14 Feb 2008
Katie,
My Christian story is very similar to yours so I totally understand where you’re coming from. I’ve only recently started to really appreciate the grace God has and continues to show me, both in the good and the bad times.
It seems so simple to say what could happen if we all showed even a fraction of that to each other, and if different groups in the church could show that towards each other. This is in our control, it can happen. If we put down pride and greed and took up grace, the whole world would change. We need grace now in this world more than ever.
I don’t think we’ll ever totally appreciate the level of grace God has shown us and how much He loves us. He really is amazing.
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