“These are gifts from God arranged by infinite wisdom, notes that make up the scores of creation’s loftiest symphony, threads that compose the master tapestry of the universe” (A. W. Tozer).
WHEN WE LOOK AT OUR LIVES OBJECTIVELY, WE SEE MANY EVIDENCES OF GRACE. Some may be small and others large, but the ways in which we’ve been blessed by somebody else’s good favor are numerous. We all — without exception — have been the recipients of far more goodness than our own merits have earned. Of the many threads that have been woven together in these lives that we call our own, many of them wouldn’t be there if it weren’t for grace.
The frequency with which grace has entered our lives ought to be a reminder that we’re not alone in life. None of us is independent, and none of us would have gotten far if other people hadn’t been gracious to us. Living in the real world requires helping and being helped, and it’s good to have that fact called to our attention.
On our part, there’s certainly a need for us to extend more grace to those we come in contact with. If we lean heavily in the direction of justice, granting to others nothing beyond what they deserve, a time will come when we get no more than what we deserve. And if we have a keen interest in correctness, making sure everybody we know is getting everything exactly right, we may be earning an advanced degree in hypocrisy, since we’ve often failed to get things right ourselves. How much better it would be if we seasoned our demands for justice and correctness with a heaping measure of grace. It may be hard to know how much grace to extend in some situations, but our first instinct ought to be to show as much as possible.
But how can we grow in the quality of grace? The key, I think, is learning to be more grateful. Those who are the least forgiving are usually out of touch with how much they’ve been forgiven. So we need to see our own situations more truthfully — and then give thanks for the grace that’s been granted to us. And if we don’t see much evidence of grace in our lives, we need to start looking at all the “little” ways our families and friends show us kindness every day.
Surely great grace yet may go
With a little gift: all’s dear that comes from friends.
(Theocritus)
Gary Henry – WordPoints.com + AreYouaChristian.com
