Grace

Can you share a positive example of where you’ve felt loved?

There is no greater love expressed or received than from the one who offers grace to the person who doesn’t deserve it.

I know this is true, because of the many times in my life I have received this kind of love extended to me when I least deserved it.

From my mom…

From my dad…

From my sisters…

From my family…

From my friends…

From the people to whom I was a pastor/teacher…

It’s an amazing thing when you know you’ve messed up big time, thinking to yourself “oh, I’ve really done it this time,” and someone says “I love you anyway.” “This doesn’t change my love for you.” “I forgive you.” “We’ll get through this together.”

The world is just more hateful today than it was when I grew up. Then grace was more than a concept. Grace was something you learned early on in life and offered it genuinely and regularly, because basically we are all flawed human beings. We all mess up. We all need grace.

Perhaps it is the mindset of not needing grace that has perverted and distorted people’s thinking, then really believing, they have no need for grace. If I’m ok in my skin, and don’t really care what comes out of my mouth, or what I do with my body, or how that may affect those around me… well, in a word, I don’t need your grace.

In my mind I guess, this is the person who needs grace the most. Mainly I think this because I believe all the bluster and pomp is a deflection of how a person really just wants to be loved. So, they need some grace.

Oh, they may not think so now. But when faced with a barrage of true grace, from a variety of people over the span of time, I’m convinced the person will come to realize grace was their greatest need.

Why do I offer grace to anyone today? Because in my lifetime, I have been shown great grace, from a wide variety of people, who could have written me off at any time, saying “why bother? He’s a lost cause.” But they didn’t.

Instead, they loved me. Some of them still do. Some of them will offer me grace forever, without fail, for all eternity.

That’s how I know I’m loved.