“I did it again!” I cried, as my mind started to spin in all directions. I had just indulged in that bad habit I was struggling with. Instead of talking to God and receiving His forgiveness, I fell into a pit of despair.
I admit, I struggle with believing that God has given me grace. When I fall short for the umpteenth time during the day, I feel like I should be punished. I feel like something bad will happen to me. And I feel like I just don’t deserve the love that God offers. Maybe you have felt the same way.
But what about giving grace? What about sharing that grace – which we can so easily receive from the Father – with others who hurt us in some way?
I struggle with this, as well. And sometimes, it’s not even when someone does something horrible to me (which is extremely difficult). Sometimes it can just be dealing with the imperfections of everyday life.
For example…have you ever gotten upset when someone cuts you off on the road? I have. What about when they pass you in a no-pass zone, or drive 25 MPH in a 45…or 45 in a 25, for that matter? What about when they ride your bumper so close that you’re afraid to make any sudden stops or turns? Yep. Bothers me too. And this is one area where God is showing me that I need to give grace.
Is it right? Do they deserve the grace? No. But the thing is, grace isn’t about getting what we deserve. If we got what we deserve…we’d all be separated from God. But He gives us grace! And we need to be willing to share that grace with those around us.
Another area where I struggle to give grace is when I’m on the phone. You know what calls I’m talking about, don’t you? The calls that you have to make about a bill that is incorrect, or to your insurance company, or something of that nature. You make the call, wait on hold for way too long, and then are connected to a representative who is not able to assist you with your problem? Yeah…I struggle with those calls.
But the representatives I’m talking about are people, too. They make mistakes like all of us do. So what would it take to show a little grace? It would probably help them a lot…and it might even help us to feel better about the frustrating situation.
So the next time you are struggling with impatience…the next time you are annoyed or offended by someone…and the next time time things don’t work out quite the way you want – remember, God has given us grace. And we need to be willing to give that grace to others! ❤
Knees to the Earth 