Grace - I've heard it used in different ways. From acting in a graceful manner to gracing someone with your presence. From being used as a name to being the prayer we pray before our meals. In preparation for what I felt God calling me to write about, I got on dictionary.com and looked up the word GRACE. I wanted to better understand the many aspects of such a simple, beautiful, and yet complex word. Many times we hear grace right along with Christ and what He has done for us. Maybe I could come to understand more of who He is by looking in to this one little word. What I found truly kicked me in the gut. As I read the many definitions of grace, I found that in nearly each one, I was realizing something about the character and true nature of God, which brought me to tears. I would like to start out (or rather finish this introduction) by saying that God has placed the topic of grace on my heart tonight not only to hopefully reach to someone else, but to grab me and reveal Himself to me in this moment. Even know, I am listening to worship music and weeping at the beauty and sweetness of my Creator!
I am going to share with you the definitions of grace and how they speak to who God is, and the way He can truly turn our world upside-down (in the best way possible!) if we let him! Grace can be used as either a noun or a verb. That in itself is amazing to me, because God is not limited to a box, but rather a being so great that He cannot be contained!
NOUNS:
-Elegance or beauty of form, manner, motion, or action. Other words that could be used in this definition are attractiveness, charm, ease. Now, I have never seen God, though I am excited for that opportunity one day when He decides to call me to my true home in Heaven with Him! While I haven't seen Him, I have seen His beauty and elegance displayed in my life and around me. From the beautiful sunrises which He has painted, to the people around me, whose spirits have been created in His image. Creation gains its beauty from its Creator.
-Favor or goodwill. Other words could include kindness and love. Many verses in the Bible point that God is love. He shows favor on us, His children! Does this mean your life will be without trial, temptation, struggle? NO! It means that His grace, His favor, is over you through whatever valley you may face! He has already won and overcome those moments before you were even born! His favor extended to you before you even imagined what may come. And He is already in your tomorrow, clearing the path for you, if you will choose to follow Him and trust in Him. His love and kindness are not kept from His children, but rather lavished upon us as we lean on Him and live as He has shown us.
-Manifestation of favor, especially by a superior. Other words include forgiveness and charity. God is very much our superior, but how awesome that He is also our friend! He has not so far removed Himself from us that He refuses His grace -His forgiveness! Last Sunday in church, the speaker shared that forgiveness is painful. It costs the forgiver something. And that sometimes forgiveness causes us to draw that person in to a place of closeness with us. God is no exception. His cost of extending forgiveness to us? Christ crucified. Christ knew what was going to happen; He told his disciples about it ahead of time down to the betrayal and death. He could have, at any point, said "no" to what he was on earth to do. Being fully God, he could have chosen to release himself back to the safety of Heaven and avoided being beaten, broken, crucified, and forsaken. But how amazing that his love and forgiveness reached farther than any realms that could have possibly confined him! His forgiveness was given to you when he CHOSE to die on the cross. His forgiveness continues to extend to you. It breaks his heart every time you choose to sin, but his forgiveness is extended, and he is awaiting our repentant heart to turn back to Him! He is not a three-strikes-you're-out kind of god. He is a I-love-you-so-much-that-no-sin-is-too-great-for-me-to-stop-loving-you kind of god.
-Mercy, clemency, pardon. This is maybe the most compelling part of the "noun" of grace for me. God has shown us grace through mercy and pardon. But from what? From ourselves, the world around us, eternal separation from Him. Being born of human flesh, we are instantly doomed to a life without our Creator, but He has extended his mercy so that we have an escape from the evil of the world and from the destination that brings us to. Consider a prisoner on death row. His final destination is what - the electric chair, lethal injection - Death. But what would happen if he were pardoned? He would no longer face death, but rather have the opportunity to live his life fully. This is the same for us! Our pardon has been made. We no longer belong to this world, and I think we can all shout "AMEN" to that! What we deserved, we no longer face once we accept what Christ did for us and live according to that pardon.
VERBS:
-To lend or add grace to. Other words include adorn, embellish, beautify, enhance. It may not seem like that's adding much, but as I look at it and apply that to my life, it's amazing! The sentence that dictionary.com uses to show this word in context is: "Many fine paintings graced the rooms of the house." What does this mean in context of God's grace? When I think of the sample sentence the website used, I see it perfectly! My favorite painting - Starry Night by Vincent VanGogh - is featured prominently in my home. I am proud to own even a copy of it! I enjoy looking at it and sharing it with others. I admire it and feel a connection with the painter himself. Now. Take God. If a painting is meant to adorn, embellish, enhance my surrounding, how much more should God?? Do I feature him in my home and in my life? Am I proud to follow Him? Do I display what He has done in my life so others may see and enjoy it as well? Am I allowing Him to enhance and beautify my life in a way only He is capable of? That is what we should be doing! No, He's not a painting that we can hang on the wall, or in my case, right above our big screen TV so it's always a focal point! But He should be our most proud feature. The one thing in our life that we can't seem to stop bragging about! Is that what He is in your life? I know I still have work to do!
-To favor or honor. As in - to grace an occasion with one's presence. This is very similar to the previous definition, but I think it takes it a step farther. It is not only the effect of being present, but the very presence itself. When God graces you with His presence, He simply allows you into His presence! He makes His environment yours, and your environment His. In reality, we are in the constant presence of God, yet at times we feel it more prominently than at others. Have you ever had that "mountain top moment" where you feel God's presence so strong you could almost reach out and touch Him? Isn't it an amazing feeling? In those moments, He has fully graced you with His presence. As I said, He is always with us, we just don't always feel Him. Why? It could be a possible valley or wilderness that you are walking through and His presence is there, but softly, allowing you to build your trust and faith in Him. It could be that you are being too stubborn to sense Him. It could be sin in your life that you are holding on to. Whatever it is, He is still with you! He has never left you, and He never will. You are his prized possession.
Well, those are the definitions of grace according to dictionary.com and according to Christ and his character.
In all honesty, this post is about a week overdue. God has been laying it on my heart to dig in and learn what His grace looks like. I have made excuse after excuse not to. Finally, I decided to follow that, and in turn, I have been given a clearer picture of who God is in my life. May my life be one that strives to display Him to those around me! His grace is His beauty, kindness, forgiveness, mercy and love. He graces us through elevating our life to a new level with Him, and through being ever present, whether we feel it or not.
My challenge to you is that you would spend time alone with God today. Ask Him to truly grace you with His presence as you seek Him. Allow Him to sing His love and mercy over you so completely. Then go sing that same love song over those around you. Do not be ashamed of Christ, but rather display His goodness in your life so openly!
