Drinking from the Cup of Grace

Drinking from the Cup of Grace

Grace has come into my life in fresh ways of late.  It started through some books I’ve read, and I’m thankful for that.  I taught a Sunday School class for three years, before my heart by-pass and our focus for those three years was on grace.  We talked of grace from God and how to extend grace to others.

First, perhaps we need a refresher course on the meaning of ‘grace.’

   Kindliness

     Favor

       Mercy

         Benevolence

           Clemency

             Leniency

               Reprieve

I am loved, and so are you.  That is grace.  The great God of the universe knows us, even down to the very hairs on our head, and He loves us anyway.  He sees us in our alone moments, in our daily interactions, in our busy moments and our leisure moments.  He knows our thoughts, our deeper attitudes of the heart, our assessment of others, and our considerations of ourselves.  And He loves us through it all. 

Take a sip of grace. 

I am learning to offer grace to others for their and my own miss-steps, misspoken harsh words, for slights, for offenses, for judgments of my own motives, and for a thousand other judgmental edicts, many of which I am not even guilty. 

Take another sip of grace. 

I wallow in the forgiving grace of God.  I live as one who is forgiven, restored and offered this great clemency from God.  I don’t deserve this kind of favor; however, I’m offered it simply because God is good, and He is the Merciful One, the Redeeming One, and the God of grace.

Take another sip of grace. 

In Philip Yancey’s book – Vanishing Grace – he lists four common complaints about Christians.

·      You don’t listen to me

·      You judge me

·      Your faith confuses me

·      You talk about what’s wrong instead of making it right.

If I am to be one who actually drinks regularly from the cup of grace, I have to take personal responsibility and fix this in my own life.

~God, help me listen more, and to not prepare my next comments as I listen.

~God, deliver me from being judge and jury on other’s lives.

~God, how do I live a straight-arrow life of a follower of Christ?  Let me not confuse others.  Let me mark the trail to You.

~God, let me offer words of wisdom and hope, not words of condemnation.

Take a big gulp of grace.

When others see me and consider my life, I would hope they would say something like … “He loves.”  I want to lead with love in my life.  We are called more to “love one another” than we are called to do anything else in this world. 

I want ‘them’ to know me by my love.

Let me have another drink of grace.

Internet Church Blog Site

P Michael Biggs

Hope Encouragement Inspiration