Grace

Throughout my week I scroll through Facebook and see close friends, distant friends, relatives, acquaintances, and then I come across some random people, and everytime I see their pictures or read their posts, I ask myself, "Why am I friends with them again?"

Often when this happens the first time, I say because I like to keep up with them, they may be offended if I unfriend them, or I will decide later. Then later comes around, I see their posts again, again I am in dismay that I am even Facebook friends with someone who posts such things, but yet again I say, "Oh, later." By the third time, I either unfriend them, or keep them there as a constant reminder that hey, that person may not right with the Lord and they need prayer and a friend right now. At that time I decide to make personal contact with them, and if they accept a renewal of our bond fine, if not I just keep in touch so I know how I can pray for them. 

This is easier said than done sometimes. Sometimes that someone has really hurt me, or someone very near and dear to my heart. Sometimes that person has hated me for years, regardless of whether or not I had done something to possibly deserve it. I even have a few friends that hate(d) me because of something THEY have done...how that works I have yet to comprehend. Satan is testing me everyday, tempting me to say rude things, pushing me to unfriend that reminder from my past, pushing the need for prayer to the back of my to-do list. 

I recently watched the film Grace Card, which I strongly encourage anyone who reads this to watch, an amazing film!  In this movie a preacher/policeman is partnered with a man who is depressed and obsessed with the death of his child many years ago. While on duty, they get a call to an electronic store where he ends up chasing and shooting the thief wearing a ski mask in the abdomen. Said thief ends up being his other son, the one he can't even look at because he loved his first son more, the one with whom he can't even have a normal conversation with because of the anger and grief from the death of his firstborn, the one whom he later claims he does not even know.

Anyway, at the end of the movie, this father/cop ends up meeting the man who killed his first son, and after serving eight years in prison and then going to Kenya for several years to serve their, returned to this man and his family to ask for forgiveness for what he had done, the sorrow he has caused their family. This father had been changed by the grace of God, asked God to forgive him and accept him as he was, and help him change, and when this man asked him for his forgiveness they were both in tears, and the father pulls out a note: his Grace card, and gives it to the man. 

The Grace card read this:

"I promise to pray for you everyday, ask your forgiveness, grant you the same, and be your friend always." (Signed by the father)

That is exactly what God has taught us to do! In the Scriptures, Ephesians 2:8 it says "For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God".(KJV) This grace, it is free, the only thing God asks of us is to ask and recieve it. His grace is abundant and limitless, He lets us know this over and over in the New Testament. In 2 Corinthians 9:8 we are told "And God is able to make all grace abound toward you; that ye, always having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work." (KJV) But as followers of Christ we must not demand this grace with an empty heart, with no desire to appreciate it, with no desire to change our ways to be more like Him. 

In James 4:6 it says "But He giveth more grace. Wherefore He saith, God resistesth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble." It is not by works, or the constant attempts to do good things for other people that we acquire this grace. Not by tithing more money, saying more prayers, reading more verses, no. Simply succumbing yourself, your soul, your will, your heart to God, and believing in your heart that He is the one true God, then humbling yourself before Him. Then, then He grants us the grace we need, the grace He so willingly gives unto us.

 

In Hebrews 4 verse 16, "Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need." (KJV). God knows, He knows when we need it before we need it. He is giving it to us before we realize we need it. He is there for us, our best interest only second to His. He. Loves. You. 

As much grace as God gives us, so must we in turn give to others. That Facebook friend you constantly question, the one who "did you wrong" the one who "you did wrong," talk to them, if need be, type up you own grace card, or grace letter, give it to them, e-mail them, call then up, but most importantly, pray for them. God is always in control, and He will hear and answer your prayer, pray with a full understanding that He is listening. 

Our time spent here on Earth never seems long enough, (though before He created the Earth God knew when you would come into this world and when you will leave) make everyday a good day, smile at everyone that comes your way, love everyone, especially the ones that seem to make doing so a challenging task, and give grace as often as you can.