Grace.

Grace.

If you grew up in the church, that's a word you've heard over and over again.  You know the definition from AWANA.  You "understand" it.  It's been etched into your mind.  But do you truly stand in awe of what a gift grace really is?

For a long time, I didn't.  Personally, I am just beginning to understand that magnitude and beauty of grace.  It's amazing, I'm in awe, and I am so so so undeserving.  But isn't that what makes it so beautiful?  It's a gift from the Lord, freely given to me, a sinner, so messed up, so dirty, so unclean, so unworthy.  God showed favor on me?  Why? It doesn't make sense when you really think about it.  Why would a perfect and holy God extend grace to me?  The answer is easy, but mind-blowing. LOVE.  God loves me so much He sent his perfect son to die in my place.  When Jesus was nailed to the cross, He was there for me.  He died so that I could live. Mind.blown.

God continues to shower me and cover me with grace that I do not deserve.  Everyday, He extends grace to me by forgiving me, walking with me, guiding me, and loving me.  What a radical gift and expression of love!!!

Our lives should be a testament to the grace of God!  But sadly, all to often, in my generation especially, people use God's grace as a license to live how they want and to live in sin.  I'm not saying this in a judgmental way, because I was absolutely guilty of this, (see previous blog post about my testimony,) but it's so true.

I have so many friends and know so many people (I used to be one of them) who know the gospel, they know the Lord loves them and that He'll be faithful to forgive them and to extend grace whenever they turn to Him.  But instead of accepting this beautiful gift of love, mercy, grace, and forgiveness now they choose to live selfishly knowing that when they're ready to get serious about their relationship with the Lord, He'll be there.

While it's truly beautiful to me that God is always waiting for His children, it makes me incredibly sad that some people, myself included, waste(d) so much time running from the Lord.  When I think about all the time in my life that I wasted making selfish choices and not following and seeking the Lord it breaks my heart.  There was so many years, and so much time that I could have been earnestly seeking God's will for my life, but yet I chose to live in rebellion, in the back of my mind knowing that when I was ready, God would be there.

My prayer is that God would change the heart of the people I love who are living in rebellion the same way God changed mine.  I pray that instead of using grace as an excuse to live selfishly and in sin, my friends would see the beauty of what grace really is.  I pray that they'll be in awe of a living, holy, and merciful God and that by accepting the grace that only He can give their lives will never be the same again.

John 1:17 says,
    "For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ."

Everyday, every single day, I am amazed by the beautiful gift Christ extended to me at the cross, and blessed that His grace requires nothing of me, other than laying myself down at His feet.