Grace.
A word that is tossed around oh so often in church. I cannot tell you the number of times that I had to define it in Sunday School and youth group. Or how many sermons I have heard on it.
Grace.
A free GIFT from God. Something that I have done nothing to deserve and yet it is given to me anyway.
I was home for Christmas and having a conversation with my mom about gifts. I was telling her that I do not like getting gifts from people and I have a difficult time letting people treat me to a meal or to do an activity. If you have ever been out with me and tried to pay for something, you know that I most likely always try to pay for myself and I never win. My mom simply said it isn’t that you don’t like receiving gifts, it is that you don’t like receiving gifts that you can’t repay. Getting presents at Christmas is okay for me. Everyone is getting gifts and I am returning the favor with a gift that I have spent time planning and picking out for people. But when they come unexpectedly and I cannot give something in return, I feel awkward. I shouldn’t, but I do. You have probably realized by now that gifts is not my love language. In fact it is lowest on the list.
What I did not realize is that I have used this attitude with Jesus as well. After that conversation, He grabbed hold of my heart and said, “Daughter, you do this with my grace. It is a free gift that you do not want to accept because it is something that you cannot repay to me.”
For by grace you have been saved through faith.
And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God.
~Ephesians 2:8
It’s NOT my own doing…
It is a gift from God, not anything that I have earned through doing awesome things because let’s be real, I fail God on a daily basis. I am harder on myself than I need to be. I don’t always say the right things. I am a sinner in need of grace. He says that His grace is sufficient for me and His power is made perfect in my weakness and I tell Him with my actions that “I’ve got this”. I subconsciously push away the grace that is waiting for me to simply accept because I don’t have anything to give in return as a payment for it. I try to do it all on my own and make up for my shortcomings by earning grace because that could be a good repayment right? Wrong. It is a gift that I cannot earn simply because it is given to me. There is nothing that I will ever do that will be enough to repay the gift of grace and the fact that Jesus died on the cross for me to have it. There is nothing that I could ever do to make up for my sins. I don’t have to atone for them by being good and doing great things. I was never meant to do it all on my own. His grace is enough and I can stop working for it, because frankly, that gets exhausting. He suffered so that I could walk in the freedom that has been given to me by the grace of God.
Romans 11:6 clearly states…It’s not grace if I try to earn it!
Oh and the same goes for you!
