It is so important to give grace to those around you – especially those closest to you.
Mother Teresa is quoted as having said, “If you want to change the world, go home and love your family.” This is such a good reminder! Your family, the people that God Himself chose to put you with, should be the ones that receive your most generous helpings of grace!
Give grace generously
Just recently, something happened. (Now I’m not trying to be vague, I just honestly can’t recall what happened! It had something to do with one of my family member’s and how they reacted to a situation.)
I remember thinking, I knew they would respond like that. And their reaction put me on edge. To be honest, it rather annoyed me.
I’m so not surprised of their reaction – I knew it would effect them this way.
And then it hit me. How did I magically know that this circumstance (whatever it was!) would effect them in such a way? Because I know them. I know their tendencies. Now of all times was not the time to let their response bother me. Now was the time to offer grace.
Grace to respond in their own way. Grace to be who they uniquely are.
Grace is graceful. It handles situations smoothly. It doesn’t respond in an extreme attitude or display. It graciously allows for the fact that, though we make our best efforts, we are still human.
Grace: elegance or beauty of form, manner, motion, or action
Love those around you for who they are
I truly believe that loving people for who they are is one of the most beautiful ways to give others grace! Don’t let their unique tendencies and idiosyncrasies annoy you. Learn to delight in them! Consider them unique displays of God’s beautiful creation!
(Now all this assumes that those around you are living Godly lives and giving their best efforts. Don’t mistake correcting and encouraging others to do better as failing to show them grace.)
I am part of a large family and nothing delights me more than watching my parents, siblings, nephews and nieces, step up and really own their interests and goals. I admire when others will give themselves that grace and will accept it from others! It is truly inspiring!
And I want to inspire you (and myself) to generously give that grace to those closest and most important to us! They are the ones that we need to love on and encourage first and foremost! And I can’t help but think that as we do this for others, we will learn to claim it for ourselves! What better way to show God gratitude then to accept and share the grace that He so generously gives!
Never run out
Do you remember the story of Elijah and the widow with the two sons? The widow’s husband owed a great debt to some influential people and they were planning to come take her sons as slaves since she had no way of repaying the debts.
Elijah asked how he might help her – what did she have? She responded that she had nothing except a jar of oil. Elijah encouraged her to go borrow containers from her neighbors – not a few, but as many as she possibly could. Then he instructed her to go into her house and pour the oil from her jar into each of the containers.
As she filled each container, her sons would bring her another and another. Miraculously, unexplainably, the oil didn’t run out. It continued filling one container after another. Finally they ran out of containers to fill. Only then did the oil run out.
I love to think of this story when I feel that I don’t have much to give, much to offer compared to others. The truth is, if each of us will be like that widow and gratefully use what we have, we will make a far larger impact than we even realize!
Even if you don’t feel like giving grace, give it. If you don’t feel like going the extra mile for another (or even for yourself), take that step! Not feeling overly kind and compassionate? Look past yourself and give what another needs!
We cannot possibly do remarkable things in our lives for God if we constantly settle at behaving in an average, mediocre manner.
His grace is sufficient
The Bible says that God’s grace is sufficient, His power is perfected in our weakness! In other words, we don’t have to wait to feel super-human before we show grace or kindness to others. Even when we just sense a hint of a whisper of how God wants us to respond, if we will choose to listen and obey, even when we feel weak and unqualified, He will help us follow through!
Such an amazing promise, isn’t that?! To receive God’s strength in our weakest moments! We serve a remarkable God! May He inspire us to be remarkable for Him!
Until Next Time!
Hope.
PS. Do you have something to share?! I’d love to hear from you! Either post a comment below or send me an email at hope@theamericanlady.com.