Waiting for Grace Nina Newton, Sr. Editor Some days I amaze myself. And then other days, not so much. I’m guessing we all have days like that. But there is just something about “grace” that seems to make me nervous. It’s almost as if I just can’t believe it’s true. Oh, I know in my head what God’s Word tells me about being “saved by grace,” and that it’s not about my “works.” But just getting through a day is frequently challenging when I feel so overwhelmed with eveything that needs to be done. It’s like all that “work” is waiting for me to pay attention and get it done. Do you ever feel that way? Maybe it’s because I was brought up by a mama who never let me forget that “first we WORK and then we play!” Not only do we work before we play, but we do it right! “If a job’s worth doing, it’s worth doing RIGHT!” I can still hear her voice reminding me to “do it when you are told, and the way you are told!” The truth is those are really good rules to live by, especially when you consider how much time and energy can be wasted if you don’t just do a job right the first time. So when I read the Bible and I realize that there is NOTHING I can do (or not do) that will make God love me any more or any less . . . . that is truly a gift to me, especially on those days when I’m wondering how in the world I am going to get it ALL done. That’s when I start playing this little game in my brain – “If I don’t do that, what will happen?” Really, what’s the worst thing that could happen if I just don’t do it? Even though I know (in my head) that God will still love me even if I don’t get everything accomplished in a day that I feel needs to be done, I still wonder about everyone else around me. Will they still love me if I don’t do blah, blah, blah, blah? And that’s when I find myself waiting for grace. Oh, not grace from God, I’ve already claimed that gift. But I think I’m afraid that I’ll mess up and there will be no grace from the people I love. That is a scary thought, and it is even scarier when you discover that you were right – it is not uncommon for other people, including other Christian people, to withhold grace from one another. Perhaps you have never experienced that, but I can assure you that it happens and it is very hurtful. Since I am not in charge of the universe, I can’t change people’s hearts and I can’t “fix” everything that has gone wrong in the world, so I find myself waiting for grace. And it is time to stop waiting. Because I already have grace from the only One who really matters in the “big picture” of life. Unfortunately, this happens to all of us at one time or another in life. In churches, in families, in friendships, in every imaginable circumstance, we either wait for grace or perhaps we refuse to extend grace. Could be that’s why there are so many broken relationships all around us.
For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do. Ephesians 2:8-9
Today I choose to remember that I don’t have to wait for grace, it is mine through the gift of salvation through trust in my Lord Jesus Christ. His grace is sufficient, even in the absence of grace from others. How about you? Are you waiting for grace? Stop it! You have all you need to walk with Him in freedom and victory over doubts, fear, failure, and rejection. And if you are withholding grace from someone who has not been “perfect,” you might want to consider giving grace a chance – it just might mend that broken relationship!