Grace is His Plan

My uncle, Lloyd, wrote a song for his new CD (Can't Hold Back) that I have not been able to get out of my head lately. Really it's one line I keep concentrating on over and over... "Grace, everybody needs grace..." I hope he will lend me a bit of creative grace (pun intended) to share why this one line is on my mind...  The rest of the chorus speaks of the love of God and how His love is so strong and there is so much of it the whole world can be saved... While I definitely agree with that fact I want to talk about another grace that seems to be appearing a lot less frequently in this world.

Yes, we ALL need the grace of God to forgive our sins and save us from destruction and pain we also need the grace of those around us... Once God has stepped in and vanquished sin from a life we need others to support us, to give us the grace to change.  People, forgive one another! If someone you know has given their life, that certain sin, those evident problems and God has given them a second, third, one hundredth chance then we need to do the same... You may not even like that God has given another chance to him or her but the truth is, if you're honest with yourself and God, you have needed just as many chances yourself... "Those who use and abuse each other, use and abuse sex, use and abuse the earth and everything in it, don't qualify as citizens in God's kingdom. A number of you know from experience what I'm talking about, for not so long ago you were on that list. Since then, you've been cleaned up and given a fresh start by Jesus, our Master, our Messiah, and by our God present in us, the Spirit. " 1 Corinthians 6:10-11  Not one of us is better than the other, not one is pure, not one is perfect, not one is deserving of one ounce of the grace God brings to us every day but He is sovereign and grace is His plan for our lives! GRACE IS HIS PLAN! "God's loyal love couldn't have run out,
his merciful love couldn't have dried up. They're created new every morning. How great your faithfulness! I'm sticking with God (I say it over and over). He's all I've got left" Lamentations 3:22-24 Far-be-it for us to stand in the way of the plan and desire of God!

"...he doesn't want anyone lost. He's giving everyone space and time to change." 2 Peter 3:9 So, don't be angry when you see the grace of God where you think there should be chastisement and judgement... Be thankful that he is giving someone the space they need to grow just like he gave to you and show that thankfulness by giving that person some grace and space from you as well!

Basically, that line in the song is true, we have all needed and continue to need grace, both from God and from others so if in fact we need it we must give our grace to others. You reap what you sew: "Don't be misled: No one makes a fool of God. What a person plants, he will harvest. The person who plants selfishness, ignoring the needs of others—ignoring God!—harvests a crop of weeds. All he'll have to show for his life is weeds! But the one who plants in response to God, letting God's Spirit do the growth work in him, harvests a crop of real life, eternal life." Galatians 6:7. If you show no forgiveness or grace to others you cannot be forgiven: "In prayer there is a connection between what God does and what you do. You can't get forgiveness from God, for instance, without also forgiving others. If you refuse to do your part, you cut yourself off from God's part." Matthew 6:13-15. If you judge others harshly you will receive the same judgement: "Don't pick on people, jump on their failures, criticize their faults— unless, of course, you want the same treatment. That critical spirit has a way of boomeranging. It's easy to see a smudge on your neighbor's face and be oblivious to the ugly sneer on your own. Do you have the nerve to say, 'Let me wash your face for you,' when your own face is distorted by contempt? It's this whole traveling road-show mentality all over again, playing a holier-than-thou part instead of just living your part. Wipe that ugly sneer off your own face, and you might be fit to offer a washcloth to your neighbor." Matthew 7:1-5... It really doesn't get much more clear than that...

If you want to be a little more like Jesus, If you want Him to do his part in your life, if you want eternal life, if you truly want to help others clean up their lives then take Jesus' lead on the cross and each time you repent again, spread some undeserved grace around! Grace is His plan, after all...