“Now
then, why do you try to test God by putting on the necks of Gentiles a yoke that neither we nor our ancestors have been able
to bear? No! We believe it
is through the grace of our Lord Jesus that we are saved, just as they
are.”-Acts 15: 10-11
I have met many angry people in my life. Unfortunately, many
of those angry people have been individuals who claim to have a relationship
with Jesus. I am not saying they did or didn’t have a relationship with Jesus,
but I am saying it was hard to tell.
The majority of the time I experienced the anger from any of
these individuals, Christian or not, was due to someone either not doing
something right or to their liking. They felt wronged in some way or felt like
they could have done something better. It all boils down the inability to give
grace.
I don’t blame people who don’t claim to have a relationship
with Jesus for their lack of grace, but people who do lay claim to being a
Jesus follower, you better recognize (as the kids say)! You see, we who claim
to know Jesus, know grace. We know that we have a Savior who has stepped in our
place and has given us freedom in our fault. He has shown us how to love and
accept, even when we don’t do something right or wrong Him.
Why is it so hard for us to do the same? We find fault in a
waiter who is trying their hardest to serve 5 different tables and remember all
their drinks, but can’t get us our refill on time. We get irritated when the
checkout line is moving to slow because a lady chooses to write a check in the
cash only line. The list can go on and on. Our grace is limited, but we have
accepted unlimited grace. Is that fair?
This is why giving grace is a ministry in itself. People are
used to angry individuals, especially Christians lashing out over issues that,
in the grand scheme of things, mean very little. It is always great to see
someone’s face light up when you express to them “It’s alright. I am thirsty,
but I know you have others besides me to take care of.” A smiling gesture of
grace goes a long way.
As a follower of Christ, we must be the first to extend
grace to everyone and anyone. If we fail to do so, we must be humble enough to
admit we were wrong. Giving grace is a ministry and brings glory to the One who
showed us how to do it. If we have accepted His undying and unlimited grace,
then we must give the same.
The act of showing grace is the act of acknowledging we are
no greater than another human. None of us deserved the grace of Christ, but we
received it because He gave it, and that was the purpose of His ministry.
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