2017 // Word // Grace

His grace is enough.

Those words are so simple, and yet their meaning runs deep and flows constantly as a new truth into my life.

I am insufficient. I am not enough. Recently, I have been reminded over and over again that I, in my own power and by my own wisdom, am not enough. But in God's eyes, I am, not because of anything I did or anything that I could ever possibly do, but because His Grace is enough.

His grace overwhelms because in it flows our blessing. His grace is our blessing and through His grace we receive more blessings.

If His grace is enough to cover our sins and the sins of the world, then how much grace should we give to others?

I cannot help thinking of the story of the unmerciful servant (Luke 7 and Matthew 18). A servant owed more money than he could ever repay. It was so much money that his master decided to sell him and his family to repay the debt. The servant begged for forgiveness and the master granted it, forgiving him of all his debts.
Then... The servant had the AUDACITY to go to a man who owed him money and demand repayment.

We humans have such short term memory. We so easily forget our situation. We forget how little we on our own deserve. Sometimes we forget that our condition is undeserved and then compare our current condition to others. We see others sin. We compare. We ask why someone isn't being served the justice they obviously deserve and forget that we deserve justice too. We forget that we don't deserve grace.

This year, I choose grace. God gives us grace. His grace is enough. The more I think on the story of the unmerciful servant, the more I see myself. The more I see the ways that I look at others, judge others, treat others as if I am better or at least somehow more worthy of grace. I forget the position I was in. His grace covers all my sin, shouldn't I then be able to extend grace to transgressions against me that aren't even sins? Shouldn't I be brimming with grace? Shouldn't grace flow into all my thoughts and actions?

This year I want grace to overflow. I have been given grace. Undeserved. Unexpected. I do not demand justice for others when I have been so graciously forgiven, but rather I will extend grace. I do my best to expect the best of people. Maybe it's not personal or offensive, maybe it truly is, but if I spend my life stewing in anger over miscarried justice instead brimming with grace, then I lose my opportunity for joy. God gives us joy and peace through His unending grace.

Last year my word was calm. The year before it was joy. This year it is grace because as I seek joy and peace, I understand more completely how utterly impossible these things are without grace. My joy is solely contingent on God's grace. My peace is solely dependent on God's grace. If my focus is on this grace, then the grace I show to others should flow naturally from me. It should be unexpected and undeserved.

Grace.

When my favorite book is colored on.
When Ephraim is the center of my husband's affections.
When the bed is unmade.
When there is hair in the sink.
When my life is a mess.
When things are unplanned and unexpected and undeserved.

Instead of choosing righteous anger, I choose grace.

I'm not saying this will be easy. Because grace isn't easy. Forgiveness is easy when it is just. It is hard when I am in the right.

Joseph forgave his brothers when justice would have been to ignore them.

Grace.

God blessed David with a king (and King) through Bathsheba when justice for the adultery was not so kind.

Grace.

When Zechariah was unfaithful. When the Israelites built a calf. When Zaccheus climbed a tree.When Nineveh repented.

Grace.

It's easy to be Jonah. To throw a fit because it is unjust. It's easy to ignore grace and demand justice.

Lord, Help me to show grace when I desire justice. Help me to be gracious when the world is screaming that it isn't fair. Help me to be peaceful when everyone else would pick a fight. Help me to trust your ways. Help me to do what is impossible on my own. Give me the eyes that you see so that I may show grace to your creation.