Accept and Embrace Your Grace
According to the grace of God which was given to me, as a wise master builder
I have laid the foundation, and another builds on it. But let each one take heed
how he builds on it. 1 Corinthians 3:10 NKJV
Do you ever find yourself at odds with God’s grace? When you look at yourself, do you see the person God created you to be, or do you see someone else? In fact, a lot of Christians have problems with this. The grace God has bestowed upon their lives is not enough for them, and they long for the grace of someone else.
For instance, there may be a stay-at-home mom who has spent years making a pleasant environment for her family. She home-schooled her children and was able to train them up in a godly manner. Yet, she has weekly play dates with other moms who seem to be doing it all, and she begins to wonder whether her life has meaning. That college athlete was good enough to garner a full scholarship after his high school graduation, but he isn’t the star of the team. He questions whether he is good enough and is never satisfied with his performance because the coaches keep comparing him to his pro-athlete brother.
A pastor leading the same local congregation week after week can easily become weary of seeing the same faces in the congregation. Soon, he begins fantasizing about life on the road, either as a teacher or an evangelist who travels to far-flung locations to spread the Good News. Conversely, an itinerant preacher or educator may long for the pastoral grace that would finally allow him to plant roots anywhere. To be happy and content, one must accept and embrace the person God created them to be.
Now imagine Paul, an apostle called by God, who was also a Jew with Roman citizenship, being called to the city of Corinth one of the most corrupt cities at the time. It was a hotbed of immorality, wickedness, and sexual perversion. Like many of us, he could have shrunk back from his calling or wished he could be like some other apostle or be in another place. He could have been envious of the grace on somebody else’s life.
Like many of us, Paul had difficulty accepting God’s grace. But he reached a point where he stopped resisting God’s anointing on his life and instead welcomed it with open arms. He marched into this evil city with such conviction that the grace on his life practically pushed the forces of evil aside. And because of the apostle’s tenacity and resolve, the church in Corinth was born and would eventually become one of the largest churches of the first century. He would also
meet Aquila and Priscilla in this city, who would become his most influential ministry associates.
Apostle Paul confronted principalities and powers, demonic manifestations, and pagan temples to establish new Christian communities in each place he visited.
He accomplished this in other places, including Corinth, Ephesus, Thessalonica, and many others. He embraced his grace. Upon the completion of each new church, the Holy Spirit would instruct him to hand the reins over to a successor.
Knowing and welcoming your grace is a source of great happiness. There comes a moment when you no longer feel frightened by or envious of someone else’s
grace. “This is my grace!” will flow easily from your lips.” “Because of their grace, no one else can do what you or I do, and we don’t have to compete.”
Praise God that everyone is not the same. The talents and skills we each possess are invaluable. You are a vital part of the Body of Christ, whether you serve as a pastor, usher, businessperson, or artist. A person of your stature must possess grace. Find your grace, accept it, and let it rule your actions.
Reflect
What grace has God placed on your life? Have you accepted it? How will you use your grace to impact your circle of influence and the Kingdom of God?
Prayer
Father, thank you for the grace you have placed on my life. You have anointed me for this position and prepared me uniquely to carry it out. Help me, Lord, to stop resisting Your will for my life and accept the grace that You have bestowed upon me. In Jesus’ name, I pray.
Upcoming Connect 21 Events
- Prayer 201 (Jan 25th @ 7 pm via Zoom)
- Saturday Morning Prayer (Jan 28th @ 9 am at Latimer Hall – The Way UMC)
- Sunday Morning Worship ( Jan 29th @ 10 am at River Ridge High School)