20130705

Grace.

When I am reminded of the Gospel, my heart is overwhelmed with the reality of grace.  There is nothing about my nature that is attractive to God that He would choose to love me to the degree that He does.  Nothing at all.

As I face crazy things and encounter people who may or may not have ever experienced the grace of God, I need to be continually reminded of the Gospel.  It is only then that I can extend some of that same grace to others.

I need to be slower to judge and more quick to show grace.

I think of certain situations in which people may one day be sweet and caring, then the next they're all over my case for things I didn't do.  And those people that forget everything all the time - really, how hard is it to get that one important detail straight? I even emphasized just how important it was.  Now my day is ruined.  And then there's that other person I used to look at as being a godly example - they failed me...again.  Their excuses are invalid and their lack of grace is despicable.

Then I stop in quietness and consider grace.  Could that one person be having a day when everything is going against her? Or might she have a chemical imbalance that's not been diagnosed yet? That man who means well and has a "good heart"...could it be that he's in the early stages of Alzheimer's and internally fights the fear of what's to come on a daily basis? And that godly example - do they not need ministering to as well?

Grace covers all of this.  My responses need to always be grace.  If it's not grace, I very well may be responsible for triggering a manic attack.  I could push that dear man into a depression with contributing to his thoughts of failure and uselessness.  Oh, and that godly example - their "failure" is a need to minister elsewhere; there's a bit more grace needed there than here.

There are times when I push people away from Jesus....there are even times I have tried to push Jesus away.  May I be mindful to show grace in situations like these,  even if that girl is giving into anger and being disobedient.  If that man is irresponsible and has an addiction that contributes to his feeblemindedness, he still should receive grace.  And that godly example - come to find out they first saw grace lived out through me.