Grace Undeserved

Over the last several years and more recently the last few months I’ve had to be extended quite a bit of grace. Grace is a strange thing. We often want a lot of it and yet don’t extend as much as we need in return. I recently needed quite a bit of grace and don’t know that I deserved it.

Webster’s dictionary defines grace as “the exercise of love, kindness, mercy favor; disposition to benefit or serve another; favor bestowed or privilege conferred. That just doesn’t seem to sum up grace though. The grace I know that has been shared in abundance is the kind bestowed by God. From my experience that kind of grace is often hard for us as humans to bestow. It comes when we absolutely do not deserve it and deserve punishment instead. It comes without payment. It’s not part of a debt. It’s truly free. It can also never be taken back. Once given we are forever covered in that grace.

Throughout grief and as a result of much pain, I’ve made some huge mistakes. Mistakes that didn’t deserve to be forgiven. Always out of hurt but not necessarily excusable. I’ve hurt friends, said things that were hurtful, not been as forgiving as I needed, not extended grace when I should and the list goes on. Before losing Larry and Landon I had never really experienced true loss of that depth nor had I experienced rejection of any kind. I have been granted every job I have ever applied for. I have never really been rejected. Life had been fairly easy as an adult. I had not needed a lot of personal grace from friends. BUT boy I have I needed grace since. In depths of pain, we often lash out to save face, to hide our hurt, to preserve our dignity and often at the expense of others that we truly love and care about.

The truth is we need grace most when we deserve it the least. I can think of so many times when I’ve been extended grace and absolutely didn’t deserve it. I can also remember those times when I didn’t extend it to someone I truly loved and cared for.

I challenge you to try and give the kind of grace you seek and aspire to give God’s kind of grace. Be kind, be forgiving, try to imagine walking just one hour in another’s shoes and extend real grace. Extend the kind of grace that communicates I care deeply about you, that shows mercy, that gives a second chance, that expresses that nothing is unforgivable, that shows I would lay down my life for you, and that says, “I love you no matter what”.

If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us. I John 1:8-10

 For when we were yet without strength; we were powerless to save ourselves. In due time. In God’s own chosen time. Christ died for the ungodly. Romans 5:6

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