Grace!

There's a famous song out entitled "Nobody's Perfect", by Miley Cyrus. If you have a preteen girl, you'll definitely know the song. It's cute, upbeat, and very much a song for the younger generation. However, there's so much truth in this song. We were having family devotions the other day, and we were talking about sin, how all of us sin, even if we know God. As much as we all try to "do the right thing", live life the way we think we're supposed to, go to church, and have a relationship with God, we're still going to make mistakes. How many times have you seen someone treat another person with anger, or malicious words and we say "oh..man, that's so wrong." And the next day, we have very similar thoughts or words towards our spouse, children, or someone we know. It's a constant cycle......sin, repentance, learning, growing. I have found there's only one solution..............God's GRACE. I see grace as a mixture of love and mercy, beginning with God's gift of His Son. God gave us the ultimate example of grace.....the life of His Son, completely undeserved by us. Grace was given to us, and grace we need to give. In loving my children, I teach them many things....put away your toys, brush your teeth, do your school work neatly. But do we teach our kids GRACE? It's not a skill, but a way of life. It's easy to react with disgust or contempt to someone who has hurt you, and it's easy to get upset with the kids for something they did or did not do. But, it's much harder to give grace. I think grace is something we are, which in turn produces love and forgiveness towards others. Instead of giving grief, I'd like to give grace.



So how ARE we to have grace towards others? For me personally, grace towards others has come with a lot of prayer, much thinking, and many hard lessons about giving and receiving. I know I'll never be perfect, so why live life without giving grace to others? Why live life always judging, condemning, and staying upset or angry? Don't get me wrong, I get upset and I have normal emotions like everyone else. I also discipline my kids, and they receive their fair share of words from me. But when I have to choose between holding onto anger, bitterness, and hurt, and God's way, I like to choose to give it to God, let Him take it, and move forward. I know I've been given MUCH grace over the years, so I'd like to give it back. Today, ask the Lord for grace with those around you. After all, nobody IS perfect. Grace Scriptures Ephesians 2:6-9, and 1 Cor. 13