Grace. This five letter word packs a big punch! It is what the Christian faith is based on. There are many verses in the Bible that mention it, and there are thousands of songs written about it. As a matter of fact, quite possibly the most well known folk hymn, written by John Newton, was about "Amazing Grace."
So, what exactly is grace? In the most basic definition, grace is a free gift, that we did absolutely nothing to earn. God himself hands it out to us, all we have to do is accept it from Him. How cool is that!?! It's even better than those awesome gifts with purchase at the Clinique counter, because you don't have to buy anything! I could tell you about grace in the past, but until we had our sweet daughter, I couldn't put a finger on what grace looked like in my personal life. And grace is a big deal.
Grace is not (a) gift from God, but it is (the) gift from God. The definition for the word "the" in the "Concise Oxford American Dictionary" that I think explains its placement in this verse the best is;
My daughter fits perfectly into our family. She is sweet and smilely. She is easy going (for the most part ;)). She is beautiful. I don't deserve her. Even if I could earn her, I didn't. In Matthew 7:13-14 it says, "Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate, and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it." In high school and into my early twenties, I was going through the wide gate with the "many." I did not treat my body in a way that honored God. I did not have relationships that honored God. And I knew it. But God, being so full of grace, forgiveness, love, and patience, gave me the most awesome little girl. He used the same body that I mistreated, and grew in it the most precious little human. Amazing grace. God has given me some great gifts in my lifetime, but nothing compares to grace. And wanna know what's super cool, He is extending the same gift to you! Take it. You will never regret it.
So, what exactly is grace? In the most basic definition, grace is a free gift, that we did absolutely nothing to earn. God himself hands it out to us, all we have to do is accept it from Him. How cool is that!?! It's even better than those awesome gifts with purchase at the Clinique counter, because you don't have to buy anything! I could tell you about grace in the past, but until we had our sweet daughter, I couldn't put a finger on what grace looked like in my personal life. And grace is a big deal.
"For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith -- and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift from God -- not by works, so that no one can boast." -- Ephesians 2:8-9
Grace is not (a) gift from God, but it is (the) gift from God. The definition for the word "the" in the "Concise Oxford American Dictionary" that I think explains its placement in this verse the best is;
"used to refer to a person, place, or thing that is unique: the Queen, the Mona Lisa"Grace is THE gift from God. Grace is what my whole belief in the afterlife is based on. But, when you feel like you're a "good person," it's sometimes hard to see grace, because you don't see how you really need it. God is so patient with me though, and He revealed grace to me in a new way, and made it real to me when my daughter was born.
My daughter fits perfectly into our family. She is sweet and smilely. She is easy going (for the most part ;)). She is beautiful. I don't deserve her. Even if I could earn her, I didn't. In Matthew 7:13-14 it says, "Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate, and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it." In high school and into my early twenties, I was going through the wide gate with the "many." I did not treat my body in a way that honored God. I did not have relationships that honored God. And I knew it. But God, being so full of grace, forgiveness, love, and patience, gave me the most awesome little girl. He used the same body that I mistreated, and grew in it the most precious little human. Amazing grace. God has given me some great gifts in my lifetime, but nothing compares to grace. And wanna know what's super cool, He is extending the same gift to you! Take it. You will never regret it.
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