Giving Grace is NOT Easy

Christians throw the word “grace” around as if it is a resource that is in abundance. Grace from God is in abundance, but grace from human to human is not.  Humans must learn to give grace generously to those who need it most.  Those who need the most grace are people who are the hardest to love.  They are the ones that we may disagree with politically, or morally, or on theological issues.  We give grace generously to those that we genuinely adore.  They make it easy, which then proves that we as humans must be more generous with our grace giving because giving grace is anything but easy.

It has taken me years to understand that people who point out the faults in others refuse to look at their own faults, sins, and mistakes.  If I’m so focused on others, I don’t need to do anything to fix me.  If I don’t focus on me and focus on others, then no one else will focus on me.  It is that last phrase that I discovered how social media made me realize how wrong I was.  When I refuse to look introspectively and work on my faults and only see the faults in others, many around me see right through me and can determine how broken I really am. 

Grace means I know the sin that is in me, and that God has forgiven me of it with his life.  Grace means that I give others the room to fail.  Grace means that I don’t point out others’ flaws or mistakes or sins, but I see the good and the potential that they have to make a difference in the world.  Grace means that I love those who are the most difficult to love.  Grace means that I stop seeing the worst in people.  Grace means that I don’t judge people for what they think or believe, but that I accept them for who they are. 

Jesus forgave Paul who was killing Christians.  The disciples had to learn to accept Paul into their circle and believe that God had changed his heart.  I believe that the disciples were able to accept Paul because they all had looked inside of themselves and realized that they missed so much when Jesus was on earth with them.  Jesus gave them grace.  They had to give it to someone else. 

We cannot fix or change everyone.  In fact, the truth is we cannot fix or change anyone but our own selves.  Even therapists and psychologists cannot fix or change people without the individuals making the changes within themselves first.  The counselor can only give them the advice and wisdom.  The patient must put it into practice.  Admitting that we are flawed is difficult. Looking into myself and realizing that I am the only person who can change or fix makes life easier to see other people. 

Our society needs grace.  We need to stop getting in the faces of young and old people without giving them grace first.  We need to stop with political jargon without grace.  Grace.  If it was only something we said at dinner time, it would be easy, but God did not call us to do the easy, but to do what is right.