A few weeks ago, I woke up feeling a bit melancholy. Just before Bruce left for work, he prayed for me, as he often does. In that prayer, he encouraged me to embrace God’s grace, to reflect God’s graciousness, and to be grateful for all that God has given me.
I’ve
been pondering these qualities – grace, graciousness and gratefulness – in a
new way since that morning. These
thoughts are not new or profound, but they serve as reminders of the importance
of keeping my mind, my heart, and my attitudes in tune with Jesus.
Embrace God’s
grace
God’s
grace is offered to me as His child. I
am a sinner in need of a Lord who will receive me with unmerited favor; a Savior
who will pardon my sin. But sometimes I
act as if I’m a sinner who has yet to find a Savior! I see my sin…and I berate myself. I groan with disappointment at my
imperfections and bad attitudes, and – by doing so – I allow negative thoughts to
overshadow God’s gift of grace.
Psalm 32 reminds me to rejoice in the Lord and be
glad. The psalmist reminds me that I am called
“righteous”…not because of what I do or don’t do, but because the very act of
my confession draws me into God’s grace.
How can I be melancholy if I embrace the reality of
God’s grace?
Reflect God’s
Graciousness
My mother was one of the most gracious people I ever have met. She showed a gracious spirit toward other
people, often in the face of unkind comments or selfish behaviors. She extended herself to care for others, even
when they were difficult to deal with. She
followed Jesus’ example of love by reflecting God’s graciousness to the people
around her.
I’ve seen God extend His love and graciousness to me…and not just
through people like my mom. God has been
merciful, offering me gentle indulgence when I’ve failed or have been stubborn
in my response to Him. Galatians 5:22 reminds
me that I am not just a recipient of God’s graciousness…I also have the opportunity
to pass His graciousness on to others.
Each day, I can choose to embrace the reality that God’s Spirit lives
within me and equips me to radiate godly character and godly virtues toward the
people I encounter.
Yet it’s so easy to fall short.
It’s easy to be gracious when people are loving and accepting of
me. Or when I’m in a good mood because
things are going well. But when I’m irritated
or frustrated…when people don’t treat me the way I prefer to be treated…then
I’m not always so gracious. And so I recognize
that the only way to consistently reflect God’s graciousness is to keep spending
time with Him. I need to dwell in His
gracious presence so I can, in turn, reflect His gracious love to others.
Gratefulness
to God
Of
these three qualities – grace, graciousness and gratefulness – this last one is
the most difficult for me. I don’t like to
admit it, but feelings of entitlement can overshadow my thinking. Pessimistic attitudes can loom large in my
mind and emotions. And these things then
crowd out the awe…the incredible awe…of having a relationship with the God of
heaven and earth. A lack of gratefulness
erodes my appreciation for who God is, for His gift of love, and for the rich
and abundant life He offers me.
As
I ponder this, I realize anew that gratefulness is a choice. I always can find something to complain about
or fret over. Yet God is willing to walk
with me, guide me, and love me in spite of my weaknesses. And so there always is something for which I
can be grateful.
And above all things, I am grateful
for His grace.
