The God of Grace

Recently I have been reading a book (assigned by my campus Pastor Brandon) called How People Grow: What the Bible Reveals About Personal Growth by Dr. Henry Cloud and Dr. John Townsend.

The book has been a good read so far....until I read the chapters on Independence and Grace. It discussed more in depth the topics that Aaron Nunez was teaching in our Character skills class.

The stuff was heavy.

As I read the pages that spoke about the word "GRACE," I started feeling convicted. What I thought all this time grace meant, was minuscule in comparison to what the authors gave for the true definition of grace.

I've always thought that the whole idea of grace and God's grace was just forgiveness. I admit my sin or what I did wrong, He forgives, and then I strive to do better.

But grace is much more than that!

It's much more than forgiveness.

There are two implications given within the definition of God's grace (unmerited favor):

1) Favor means that God is for us and not against us. He is on our side and desires good for us and not evil.

2) His favor cannot be earned, or even if it could be, we do not have the means with which to earn it. We cannot merit it. Therefore He will freely give us things we cannot provide for ourselves.

And then the authors asked if you're living under a God of Law...or under a God of Grace?

It all comes back to how you view God.

I was convicted right there reading those pages, paragraphs, sentences, and words.

I never understood what it really means to believe and live under a God of Grace. This whole time, throughout my life, I've tried to please people, please God and do things. And the time when I failed, I would wallow in my guilt and just say,"LORD, forgive me of my sin. I will do better next time. I'll do even more to try to please You."

But even though I'm a Christian, there are times where I automatically default to trying to please God by doing "things" or doing this or that. Or I get so down on myself for failing in something and become scared because of this failure and try to hide from friends, people, and ultimately God.

Living under a God of Law caused me to run AWAY when I failed or was going through a tough time.

But I must remember that I'm living under a God of Grace.

One I can run too and embrace after I failed and don't know what to do.

Someone I can draw closer in my weakness and realize the reality I am living instead of living in denial of the reality of who I am and what went wrong.

As I finish typing this, I am in just crying in tears, because grace is a word I heard all the time and a word I know.

But now...

"Grace" is word I'm beginning to understand.