“For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified by His grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Jesus Christ.” Romans 3: 23-24
Grace. We hear this word thrown around, but how often do we pause to think about the meaning it carries? Most of the time we miss the point of true grace.
Romans 3 explains that we are saved by our faith and not through works. No matter how legalistically perfect we might be, we are saved only as a result of God’s grace. God chooses grace over merit, mercy over works, and unconditional love over earning acceptance.
Caught up in the rigidity of doing the right thing we strive to compete in the good christian race and we lose sight of grace. Falling into the trap of trying to check off a list of measures to be qualified to receive grace, we aim our purpose on being good enough. In doing this our focus turns inward and every action we take is through the lens of what we are capable of doing.
In our pride, we miss that accepting grace requires humility. The beginning of understanding grace lies in keeping our eyes on God. In discovering his character and his goodness, we can get a glimpse of the immense love that it takes to choose grace.
When we take our seat in humility, we discover a life of freedom. The exhaustion of striving towards perfection is broken. The defeat of not being good enough is dissolved. The stress of the bounds of legalism is quelled. There is no gift as liberating as God’s grace.
As you unwrap grace in your life, consider these questions:
1. What actions are you taking that might be rooted in attempt to earn God’s approval?
2. What is keeping you from fully embracing God’s grace in your life?
3. In the light of God’s grace extended to you, is there someone in your life that you need to extend more grace towards?
Just as you are, you are enough. Today be reminded of the joy of your salvation. Find freedom in the embrace of God’s grace.