Grace that can pardon and cleanse within. . .
Words from an old hymn we sang growing up, and one of my favorites.
Grace.
Such a beautiful word.
Without out there would be no hope for eternity with Jesus.
There would be no hope for internal peace here on Earth.
As Christians we shout grace from the rooftops-or at least we should be.
But, then we have to put grace into practice.
Oh, that can be so hard to do.
We preach grace the addicted and the broken the lost and lonely, and are thankful when they accept Jesus for who He is, but when they don't live like we do we shake our heads and declare with our actions, that perhaps grace isn't enough.
We preach grace, then give a list of rules and guidelines to be followed for it to 'work'.
We sing Amazing Grace, all the while checking off our list of does and don'ts.
We substitute preference and performance for the quiet stillness of grace.
Maybe that's why it's so hard for the more sturdy Christian to just let others live in Grace.
God does all the work, and there in nothing, not one thing, we can do to add more to his grace.
I'm quick to condemn those I see as Pharisees, then I look in the mirror and see one looking back at me.
I'm finding the preaching of grace to be the easy part, the living out of grace to be the more difficult part.
Quick to snatch it away from those I'm sure 'know better'.
Quick to shake my head and declare "I'm glad I'm not like them".
Quick to want others to "shape up and live right".
Then another look back into the mirror of my soul and I see how much I need grace to cover me.
Love these lines from Phil Wickham's This Is Amazing Grace
This is amazing grace
This is unfailing love
That you would take my place
That you would bear my cross
You would lay down Your life
That I would be set free
Jesus, I sing for
All that you've done for me
Thank you, Jesus that you gave all for me. That you poured out your amazing grace on this silly girl, who had nothing of value to offer you. Help to remember there is no checklist to follow, no
rulebook to handout that will ever add to your grace that set me free.
In the freedom of Grace, help me to always follow you.
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