Discovering Grace

Today I became acutely aware that not only do I not fully understand grace, I am terrible at showing it. You see, earlier today I was having a conversation with Charlie about what our summer schedule looks like. Being in youth ministry, summer can be a crazy time. While looking at the schedule, I became very irritable and downright mean about it. Please don’t take this frustration to mean that I am unhappy with ministry. I LOVE being in ministry. However, there are parts of ministry that I am still adapting to and there are parts of it that I do not love. It’s hard to love not seeing your spouse and essentially operating as a single parent for a large chunk of the summer. It’s hard to love having to balance a summer camp schedule and a toddler’s naptime. In any case, by the time the conversation was over, I could tell Charlie was worn down with trying to find a solution while I was being thoroughly unaccommodating. I did not show grace.

What is grace? If you are like me, grace is a word you have heard thousands of times. I always assumed I understood the meaning of the word grace. To me, grace is what proper Southern women serve alongside a glass of cold iced tea on a hot day. It is what I gave to my students when they missed a deadline but still needed to submit a project. It was what God gave me because, on my own, I am unworthy. But with grace, I am made acceptable in his sight. This is partially true, but there is so much more to it.

Let’s look at Ephesians 2:4-5 for a reference. “But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions — it is by grace you have been saved.” Grace is a very small word with very big implications. The Greek word for grace is charis. It is used 156 times in the Bible. The first definition for grace is what we typically expect to see: “that which affords joy, pleasure, delight, sweetness, charm, loveliness”. The second definition speaks of the grace shown to us by God: “good will, loving-kindness, favour; of the merciful kindness by which God, exerting his holy influence upon souls, turns them to Christ, keeps, strengthens, increases them in Christian faith, knowledge, affection, and kindles them to the exercise of the Christian virtues.”

Wow. God’s grace is definitely a big deal. It is not just being courteous; it is active and continues to shape my life each day, if I choose to allow it. God’s grace does not stop at the cross, it continues each and every day as he keeps and strengthens me. It is visible as I learn more about what it means to follow Christ and pushes me to look more like Him. Grace not only saved me once, but also continues to save me each day.

What would it look like if I had even an ounce of this type of grace for others? I can tell you with certainty that the conversation I had with Charlie would have gone much differently. Actually, most conversations I have with my husband- and everyone else- would go differently. I would not be so concerned about myself and how things will impact me. I would view it with the eyes of Christ and realize that most things are not worth making a big deal over. I would speak and act with grace. 

Today I am praying for God’s grace, which is always sufficient, to overtake my life and turn me into the woman he created me to be. What about you?