I’ve been thinking about grace lately. What does it mean to give someone grace? If your a follower of Christ, you’ve heard of God’s grace. Grace is giving someone something that they don’t deserve.
When the grace of God shapes our relationships, we respond to the sin and weakness of others with grace. So here are some questions to consider:
- Do you hold people to a higher standard than you hold yourself?
- Do you fail to overlook minor offenses?
- Do you spend more time catching people doing wrong than doing right?
- Are you better at criticizing than encouraging?
- Do people feel accepted and loved by you or criticized and judged?
- How do you tend to respond to the weaknesses, sins, and failures of those around you?
A grace mindset enables us to serve others out of a heart of compassion, gentleness, patience, kindness and love. The closer we get to people the more these attitudes are needed because the closer we get the more we experience their weaknesses and sins.
When grace is shaping our relationships it means we are ready, willing and able to forgive. Forgiveness starts with a transaction between God and us. It’s talking to him about the offense and entrusting that person and the offense to God. That prepares us for the interaction with the person that hurt us. On our own it is very difficult to truly forgive and let go of the hurt.
Grace also enables us to humbly ask for forgiveness as well. The truth is that we all hurt others from time to time and need to take responsibility for those actions or words. When we ask for forgiveness, we are admitting our responsibility for sin against others, without justification, excuse or blame. Being able to say something like this brings great healing: “I was wrong for saying __________. Please forgive me. I am sorry for the pain I caused you.”
- Grace enables us to make peace
- Grace enables us to speak the truth
- Grace enables us to serve others
- Grace enables us to grant forgiveness
- Grace enables us to learn to say no
- Grace enables us to recognize, develop and use the gifts and abilities God gave us.
Ask God to help you have more grace in your life, it can transform all your relationships and change your circumstances.