Grace Given, Grace Received
- The Narrow Path
- Feb 25, 2022
- 2 min read
God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it (Ephesians 2:8–9, NLT).
The Monday following New Year’s Day, I opened Marco Polo (a video app on my phone) to my friend informing me she’d be starting her “no caffeine campaign” a week later than expected. We both agreed to hold one another accountable for cutting back, so I responded by ensuring her that I will likely slip up on my resolution, too, and then I chose to end my message with these words: Grace given. Grace received.
Grace, in my own words, is the act of someone extending the free gift of kindness, forgiveness, and love to another when it is not warranted or deserved, yet it is given anyway.
Ephesians 2:8–9 sums it up biblically in a way that is so beautiful: God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it.
So, none of us can boast about it. Such powerful words! When I remember how undeserving I am of grace, it becomes easier for me to offer grace to others, especially when my flesh doesn’t necessarily feel like extending it.
I am thankful for friendships that freely give and receive grace. Because I have been in relationships where grace wasn’t readily offered, I have come to appreciate those who do in far greater ways than I ever imagined I would. The flow of grace in any relationship alleviates stress. It allows each individual to share honest communication, engage freely, and grow together without constantly worrying that their mistakes are being held against them.
Have you ever been on the receiving end of hurt? Has your heart ever been punctured by the sharp words of another? Have you ever felt betrayed or filled with grief when a friend turned away without a word?
Yeah, me too. Grace given.
Have you ever done something to cause someone else to feel hurt?Have you ever allowed words to slip that were unkind or landed on another in a harmful way? Have you walked away from something without acknowledging the wrong that was done?
Yeah, me too. Grace received.
Because of the sin committed by Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden, we are all the same: sinful human beings born into a fallen and broken world. The difference is how our hearts change when we accept Jesus, receive the gift of grace, and learn how to extend it to others.
Grace, granted freely as a gift from God, and given graciously by my Jesus-loving friends, has truly changed my life. When we make the conscious decision to extend undeserved grace to others, it changes relationships, it changes hearts, and most of all, it is reflective of the character of Jesus.
Comments