Gibee posted about GRACE on her Tuesday Toss-Up yesterday and when I prayed about whether I had anything to post about today…God again whispered that word in my ear…
“Grace”…
I’m letting it seep in and pour through the recesses and channels of my mind as it travels downward into my heart so forgive me if this seems more rambling than usual.
I wonder if perhaps in the evolution of our humanity (now in it’s 21st century), perhaps the race to evolve has ERASED the GRACE that flowed more freely even 30, 40, 50 years ago. I suppose I can admit I see some grace SOME of the time, shared among people. It just seems far less evident than I remember in the past.
Some days it feels like (from watching the news or listening to conversations) we are consumed by thoughts of gasoline prices and subsequent gouging; the strength or weakness of the dollar; the abuse, neglect, even starvation of other humans; the lack of humility and dignity from which great leaders are born; the unity with which our very nations were formed, and we forget about the hope of who/what we are at our very core.
I feel a bit defeated by my fellow humanity today. I feel blanketed by the lack of optimism and hope and GRACE that is afforded us by our heavenly Father. I long for the motivation this sometimes brings…but at this moment I feel defeated.
I continue to see and read words of separation and disparity among even fellow ‘self-proclaimed’ Christian bloggers’ and I struggle to close my eyes and ears to the words of dissent.
I pray we would seek unity and find our common bond of Jesus and His grace, mercy, and LOVE in our search…my HOPE is for a better tomorrow.
Standing in a bit of a fog on this day of my journey…I’m not looking for answers…I’m looking for grace. If you see it…let me know! For now, I'm going back to the source and clearing the blocks in my path.
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Grace...
You know, I realised how easy it can be to just blunder forth without grace - I hvae been doing just that today, and I am feeling quite deflated and negative. I think I need to go and seek the Lord and ask for a renewal of grace and of His joy - cause at the moemnt I seem to be just bumping along most ungracefully...
Thank you Kim for making me see the error in my ways.
No matter what is in your view, despite all evidence that may point otherwise,the hope that is promised is always real, always there. And if you cling to that vow made by God, your world with all the obstacles will still be filled with grace and love.
I know that I need to work on my grasp on grace. I understand it (well as much as my puny mind can comprehend) and am completely grateful for it, but I fail often in giving it to others who need it as well. My focus this week in prayer will be that I will become the grace extended to others rather than being a miser and economizing it, doling it out when I deem it needed.
As a side note to your post: For this very reason, I chose to not watch tv. It is my little defense against the lies of the world, which try to tell me that money matters above all else, fame is the ultimate power worth persuing or evil is everywhere and you can do nothing about it so you might as well give into it. These are the reasons that I choose to not watch the news, follow any celebs or place my time and effort into the almighty electronic god. And strangely enough, I find that life goes on without my filling my head without these things and my outlook is a lot brighter than that of my friends who do partake of it.
God is good. God is faithful. He will clear those blocks that need to be removed from your path, Kim - just as He is clearing them out of mine.
Thank you for sharing your heart today.
As I understand the meaning of grace, it is the unmerited favor or assistance given us by God. We don't deserve it, we aren't entitled to it, we can't demand it. He gives it freely to us in all our weaknesses. He bestows favor upon us as we try to serve Him, just because He loves us. In extending grace to others, human to human, I interpret that to mean that I should allow others to be human, to make mistakes, to blunder their way through life without passing judgment on them. All I have to do is offer the love of Jesus in my heart and attitudes toward them. Sometimes that's really, really hard to do, but when I step back and realize that I don't deserve it any more than they do, then I find that I am more able to be giving. In our human arrogance as individuals, we sometimes think we're the only ones who deserve God's favor (grace). None of us can earn it; He offers it freely.
Blessings to you today, Kim, as you wrestle with this in your life. You are a good person with a heart for God and He will not fail you in this particular journey.
Grace still exists in the world. It exists in us who have chosen Christ as our Lord. But, as much of the world turns away from Christ, it is less evident in the present. We, as disciples of Christ, must be willing to share that grace, which we have been given so freely, with those who do not know Christ. Grace, love, joy, wealth...all gifts from God, gifts we are commanded to share. Great post Kim! May God continue to bless you richly. Ken
Jesus came to us "full of truth and grace". That's a winning combo! Have one without the other and you are bound for trouble:
Truth alone: "You have really messed up!" (condemnation)
Grace alone: "Everything is okay." (denial)
Truth and grace together: "You have really messed up but everything is going to be okay."
We need more of both in our lives if we are to be more like Jesus.
Good thoughts. I immediately thought of the Jon Benet fiasco. This guy said he did it, the DA brought him over with good intentions and motivations, and now she's being slammed and threatened and told she should quit her job. No grace there.
You are a woman full of grace, Kim. What a lovely essay.
Every time I think there's no more grace or not enough grace or someone's hogging all the grace I stop and think about how life here on planet earth COULD be. Take God's grace out of the picture and imagine the pain, the hurt, the depth of depravity of which we barely see the surface of.
It's hard when all around us it seems the enemy is winning but we know, as Christians, this battle has already been won. There would be no grace at all - for any of us - if it hadn't. When I think God has left us high and dry in this crazy world I imagine it without His presence and I immediately see all the places it is being showered down upon us.
Kim -- I'm right there with you. I have my "close" circle of blogger friends (yeah, you're in it, girlfriend) that I KNOW really "dig" it ... and then ... I have another group of "Christian" bloggers that don't "dig" it! You know what I mean?
I totally understand God's grace. That has NEVER been a question. It's the human race and their ability to dole out grace whenever THEY feel it merited that bothers me!
Actually ... It really bothers me when someone labels themselves a Christian, and then tears into someone else that really needs or deserves grace, and they do it in "Christian piety (sp?) with a holier-than-thou attitude".
I've done it myself, and I regret it greatly. In fact, I did it on my blog... And, I've repented to the Lord.
I guess if someone's going to quote scripture at me, and act like they have the right to point their finger at someone because they are "Biblicaly judging" blah, blah, blah, and then tell me that THEIR understanding of scripture is the RIGHT understanding -- well, I tend to close my heart to them and get a burr up my you know what.
This has happened to me recently, and I was so hurt by it... but I was gently reminded by Jeana from Days to Come that I need to extend grace to the very person that stomped all over me.
Sigh... Yes, this subject is one I struggle with; yes, I'm also struggling with hurt; yes, I struggle with closing my eyes and ears to disent; and yes, I'm still learning, too.
I must remember to extend the same amount of grace I would expect, as well as want. Even if I or others have been treated with little grace by them.
Great post, friend!
Oh NO! Gibee...I think you hit the nail on the head...I think perhaps God is showing me through my own lack of grace to others...what I look like!
I really don't enjoy these lessons and I hope it's not a long term one...perhaps I can "get it" and move on? or more likely...it's a life lesson learned over the retracing of scars and wounds inflicted and received! YUCK!
I suppose this is one of the hardest things to fathom. After all, none of us really deserved grace ourselves, yet though we ourselves are undeserving, we tend to look down at those who need grace from us and refuse to give it to them because we think ourselves better or something. I want to learn to practice showing grace in all situations, whether others show it to me or not!
Grace - I'm so interested in that very same theme. Sos much so that I wrote a book on it! Here's the link to my blog post.
http://staciwilder.typepad.com/glimpses/2006/06/the_word_is_gra.html#comments
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