The other day I noticed a change in me. It’s funny when that happens. When you watch yourself respond differently than you expect—like you’re looking at someone else.
I noticed while listening to a powerful song I hadn’t heard in years—Steeple Song by Don Francisco. Right away I knew what caused the change—grace.
I didn’t understand grace back when the song came out. I understood pain. Back then, I used the song as a rant. But the other day I noticed my rant had changed to something good.
The change in me is powerful evidence of what grace can do even when you don’t understand it.
The change in me is powerful evidence of what grace can do even when you don’t understand it. Click To Tweet
Defining Grace
Grace is a lot of things. A girl’s name, a period of time, and a way to move. But it’s also a common term in churches. I asked a group of people to help me define it and got a variety of answers.
Some were simple.
- Unmerited favor!
- Divine blessings
- Unconditional love
- Getting what you don’t deserve
Some elaborated.
- Unmerited favor. (Meaning, favor you can’t earn. It’s freely given)
- Freely given with no strings attached.
- Grace is being given what you don’t deserve.
- Grace is unconditional love and acceptance. It’s the relational aspect of God’s character.
Some explained.
- You’re enough, just you are. You’re loved, loveable, choosable, belong, just as you are.
- Grace is the bridge, that allows us to return to the celestial kingdom and live with God after we have done all we can do to keep God’s commandments and follow Jesus’s example. When we haven’t done those things perfectly, Jesus steps in and bridges the gap.
- Forgiving those who don’t deserve it, and making wrong things right anyway.
- Grace is what empowers us to do what we couldn’t do by ourselves. I think things like forgiving or loving, especially our enemies, all take the grace of God to accomplish whether we realize it or not, when we act in such ways it’s kindness (aka love) that’s fueled by grace.
And these two said something a little different.
- Grace is something so unbelievable that without Christ, you can’t begin to fathom it. It’s what you’re given when you in no way deserve it. It’s humbling and redeeming and replaces shame with strength and love. Grace is Jesus.
- The presence of Him and the working of His power that accompanies it.
Grace is alive. Grace is powerful. Grace is God acting on our behalf simply because He loves us and we need Him.
Even when we don’t understand and often in spite of us.
Grace is God acting on our behalf simply because He loves us and we need Him. Click To Tweet
Getting Understanding
When the minister prayed over my husband and me at our wedding he said something I never forgot.
He prayed God grant them the grace to do what they vowed today. I didn’t understand grace but I saw it as help. I knew I needed lots of help so my heart reached for that grace with a hearty amen.
When I had each of my children I knew I needed the grace like that minister prayed so both of them have middle names that mean grace. That was my way of asking God for help.
When my children were grown and we moved from Michigan to Arizona my life forever changed. (Full story in my book) It was there my understanding of grace began to change from a thing—to a person.
It was there, during a dark time, I wrote You Are My Grace. (also in book)
When we returned to Michigan little by little my life circ*mstances became unglued.
Here I gained an understanding of grace I will fiercely guard.
Not by might, or by power, but by My Spirit, says the Lord Almighty—you will succeed because of my Spirit…declaring that all was done by grace alone. Zechariah 4:6-7 TLB(emphasis mine)
I learned the power of grace—the Spirit of Grace at work in me with no effort on my behalf.
I learned the power of grace—the Spirit of Grace at work in me with no effort on my behalf. Click To Tweet
The Power at Work
As I listened to Steeple Song by Don Francisco that day I remembered my old rant—against the church that hurt me as a child. Against those who left us to cry alone—like the song says.
Against those who say they know Jesus but don’t do what He says—and so people suffer. My old rant was because I had suffered.
But Grace.
As I listened to that song I also saw by Grace, Love had healed my soul.
I saw that yes Jesus commands us to love—but it’s only possible through Grace.
We need grace to give us a heart willing to be obedient.
We need grace to work the Love of God into our soul because humans are capable of doing without being.
We need grace to convince us we’re loved because we can’t give what we don’t have.
Grace convinced me I am deeply loved.
Grace is working the Love of God into my soul quietly while I rest in His Love.
Grace moves me to practice Love and keeps me connected to the source.
Grace gave me a new rant. The one from Zechariah 4:7
Grace! Grace!
The power of Grace is working silently in the life of all those who call out for it.
The power of Grace is working silently in the life of all those who call out for it. Click To Tweet
What Next
Grace wants to convince YOU how deeply YOU’re loved—right there, right now, just the way you are.
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Danielle Bernock
Author, Coach, and Speaker helping men, women, and organizations EMERGE with clear vision of their value, TAKE ownership of their choices, and CHART a path to their promise, becoming Victorious Souls who Embrace The Change from survive to thrive through the power of the love of God
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