Kingdom Promise: Abundance, Hope, & A Future

The Freedom of Grace

BY KELLY WILLIAMS HALE

What does grace mean? I’ve heard the word my whole life – mostly attributed to my accident-prone self. When walking through the doorway swinging my arms, my hand would inevitably bash against the doorjamb. “Good job, Grace.” Or, walking down the sidewalk with absolutely no obstacles, I would trip and stumble over a speck of dust. Again, grace.

But the grace I want to talk about is God’s grace, His undeserved favor.

God extends His grace to us despite our failures and shortcomings. But boy, I can tell you it has taken me many, many, MANY years to begin to grasp the amazing wonder of God’s grace.

It is by His grace that any of us still walk the earth. His grace allows us to wake up each day and attempt (in our weak, self-centered way) to go about the daily business of living. And it’s by His grace that we are forgiven, over and over and over again, when we fall short OR fall down. (Hmmm… so there IS some correlation between God’s grace and my accident-prone young self’s definition of grace!)

God’s grace is what we must shower on those who cause us harm or disappointment. And we must also extend grace to ourselves. Unfortunately, both can be difficult to remember. A few years ago, I had the word “grace” tattooed on the inside of my wrist as a reminder to extend grace to others. But glancing down at that word written on my wrist also reminds me that God gives me grace. And I can give myself grace as well.

Have you ever messed up so badly that you wondered, How could God use me after that? I sure have. And I remember so vividly when the Lord reminded me of His grace. I was sound asleep after attending the first day of a women’s conference. I felt God was calling me to ministry, to serve women who felt like their past disqualified them from His purpose. I heard a voice whisper, “My grace is sufficient.” I immediately sat upright in the cozy hotel bed, grabbed my Bible, and located this verse:

And He has said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness. Most gladly, therefore, I will rather boast about my weaknesses, that the power of Christ may dwell in me.” (2 Corinthians 12:9-10 NIV)

That was the beginning for me. The beginning of my understanding of the grace Jesus gives me. The grace He gives all of us. His grace saves us. And in my case, His grace empowered me to walk forward into ministry, despite my own past. And His grace is available for you, too.

God’s grace is difficult to comprehend because it goes against everything the world tells us. We are told to treat others the way they treat us. Which, in some cases, is ugly and mean. Should we then be ugly and mean back to others? Is that what Jesus did when he was persecuted and called names? No. He loved the haters despite their hate.

That is grace.

The world tells us we are never enough – that we are never good enough. But Jesus tells us otherwise. Are not five sparrows sold for two copper coins? And not one of them is forgotten before God. But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Do not fear therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows. (Luke 12:6-7 NIV)

That is grace.

Accepting God’s grace is understanding that there is nothing you can do to earn it. There is nothing we can do to make God love us more – or less. He loves us – unconditionally. If you have children, you can relate to this. Like the prodigal son, our children can literally walk away from us, yet we welcome them back with open arms - every time. As God’s children, regardless of the messes we get into and the mistakes we make, God loves us and offers us His grace. Period.

Precious friend, God’s grace is undeserved favor. It wouldn’t be grace if we could earn it. God is holy, and although we grow in holiness in this lifetime, there is not a single one of us who is holy enough to deserve God’s favor. But He offers it freely - through His loving grace. We cannot behave in any way that will make him love us more. He simply loves us – and offers His grace. Our freedom from the grip of past mistakes is directly related to how and when we grasp this truth.

God is extending His glorious grace to you right now. I pray you will join me in accepting His favor – which He so desires for you!

Kelly Williams Hale is a best-selling author, speaker, and leader. As a Clarity and Confidence Coach, she is passionate about equipping believers to be brave. Kelly is happily married and has three “only” children – Christie, Dallas, and Austin – all born about a decade apart! You are invited to download her free guide: You are enough. 5 steps to slay self-doubt and start living your best life at www. thebebravelife.com.