Tuesday, March 25, 2014

It's All Grace

A few years ago I really began to...um...perceive my gracelessness.  My natural default is to be critical and short; both with myself and others.  I started realizing I really didn't understand grace.  You can't give away something you don't have.  Although head kind of got it, and although I knew grace has been explained as:

God's
Riches
At
Christ's
Expense;

aka the "great switcheroo,"  I was still needing...more, a deeper knowledge of grace - grace searching the caverns of my soul and rooting out everything ugly and loveless and lifeless.  I began my investigation by reading a few books and as I picked and gleamed some insight from them, I continued to ask God to show me His grace so I could better understand and live in His grace.  As I searched for the thing (grace,) I discovered, as always, it wasn't the thing I desired, but more of Him, my Jesus.  He is grace.  What I ached and longed for was more intimacy with my creator.  As I drew close to Him and allowed Him to teach me, I began to experience His grace in my inmost being, and realized that was what I had been craving all along.  What's fascinating to me now is that I see grace everywhere.

Grace is God reaching into my life and saving me from myself.

Grace is God condescending to reside in my heart and soul and giving me new life.

Grace is simply waking up.

Grace is coming alongside someone who's fallen down and picking them up, washing their wounds, and tending their broken heart.

Grace is a kind word replied to a cranky one.

Grace is a hug when I'm grumpy.

Grace is receiving forgiveness and forgiving others.

Grace is open arms to the hurting.

Grace is loving even when it's awkward.

Grace is friendship with the "unworthy."

Grace is Jesus calling me "friend" when I've been unfaithful to Him.

Grace is patiently teaching me the same lesson over and over, until I finally understand, even if it means discipline.

Grace is realizing His goodness and mercy do chase after me, and all I need to do is turn to Him to receive it.

Grace is His holding onto me when I can't hold on anymore.

Grace is learning to love after a heart break.

Grace is feeling joy again after loss.

Grace is realizing my own insufficiency and allowing His power and abundance to live through me instead.

Grace is His Spirit living inside me, leading me, whispering to my heart throughout the day.

Grace is the ability to receive and give love.

Grace (and truth) is what Jesus is full of.

Grace is Jesus being enough in all things, every situation, every moment of the day.

Grace is my Savior giving me dreams, speaking to my heart, and revealing Himself to me more and more every day.

I pray as I grow in Him, my days will be marked by His grace.  I pray for His bride, that we will be a people who are so attuned to His lavish grace for us that we can't help but pour it out on everyone around us.  That's the heart of this blog - learning to recognize, receive, pour out, and simply live in His miraculous grace - Grace Dwelling - Him living in and through each one of us.