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Oh, sweet grace. The gift of grace is the best kind of gift. We have been thinking lately about how thankful we are for grace and the freedom that it brings, even when we don’t deserve it. Have you ever found yourself in a situation where you aren’t particularly pleased with a situation or person? These situations can bring about hurtful feelings of disappointment, critical feelings of judgement, heartbroken feelings of confusion, or heavy feelings of bitterness and resentment. However, there is a sweet way to avoid these negative, soul-weakening feelings! The answer is grace.

Give the gift of grace to others freely, abundantly, and always. Even when your mind might be raging, tap into your heart and give grace to someone. This will not only be so good for them, but it will be so good for you as well! You will feel light and unburdened and will be able to carry on, instead of being stuck in an unforgiving rut. It is harder said than done, and it takes patience, so we encourage all of us to praise the Lord for the sweet grace He gives us and pray for Him to give us the strength and the tenderness to give grace to others constantly.

Here is a quote from the daily devotional, Jesus Calling, by Sarah Young that really spoke to me: ‘When someone mistreats you, try to view it as an opportunity to grow in grace. See how quickly you can forgive the one who has wounded you.”  I love the picture that this quote creates; each hurtful situation is an opportunity for us to grow! It is a challenge because we have two choices: to feel hurt, angry, and hold on to negative feelings, or to release the negative by forgiving, giving grace, and in return we will grow in grace.

Lysa Terkeurst has an amazing quote on grace: When to give grace? I’d rather stand before God knowing I loved others too much than regretting that I judged too harshly. Amen to that. Loving others by showing them grace in every opportunity that you have is the sweetest display of love. May we all keep this quote in mind as we live and interact with others, giving grace and loving people even when they let us down or hurt us. xo