"Amazing grace, how sweet the sound, that saved a wretch like me . . ."
I'm guessing you can hear this song in your head, even if you aren't a Christian. Things that are popular and well known have a tendency to become common. Boring. Taken for granted.
As I was reading my Bible, I was struck by these beautiful verses:
That the Lord reached down in the midst of time to bestow extravagant quantities of grace upon me is truly amazing.
But sometimes I forget what that means. And I am hard on myself when I mess up. Or when totally forget to do something I am supposed to do. Or when I just don't measure up to expectations.
If we gospel-carriers are to be like Jesus, we need to think and act like Him. Acting like Him means lavishing grace on ourselves and on others. Because we are all stuck in pits of our own making and we all need generous doses of undeserved favor to help us to climb out of them.
We can't do it without grace. If we could, then we would not need Jesus. And oh, how we need Him!
So, if you need grace today (and I know you do), tell yourself that Jesus knows where you are at and how you feel, and He is lavishing you with grace. All you have to do is be willing to receive it.
I'm guessing you can hear this song in your head, even if you aren't a Christian. Things that are popular and well known have a tendency to become common. Boring. Taken for granted.
As I was reading my Bible, I was struck by these beautiful verses:
"In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace which He lavished on us," (Ephesians 1:7-8 NASB, emphasis mine).
That the Lord reached down in the midst of time to bestow extravagant quantities of grace upon me is truly amazing.
But sometimes I forget what that means. And I am hard on myself when I mess up. Or when totally forget to do something I am supposed to do. Or when I just don't measure up to expectations.
If we gospel-carriers are to be like Jesus, we need to think and act like Him. Acting like Him means lavishing grace on ourselves and on others. Because we are all stuck in pits of our own making and we all need generous doses of undeserved favor to help us to climb out of them.
We can't do it without grace. If we could, then we would not need Jesus. And oh, how we need Him!
So, if you need grace today (and I know you do), tell yourself that Jesus knows where you are at and how you feel, and He is lavishing you with grace. All you have to do is be willing to receive it.
Hi Selena! You are spreading the Good News today! I love it :)
ReplyDeleteI do think that God is showering his grace on us all the time. But sometimes I am just too unaware to invite it into my heart. It's there, free, just for the asking. But I have to ask.
Thank you for prompting me to speak to The Lord today, and say 'Yes!' I need your gift of grace.
Happy Weekend!
Ceil