Thursday, December 19, 2013

Gift of grace



I've been a little lost these last few days...not sure what to write, not sure what I'm feeling or even what I'm learning.  Its a crazy time of year, 6 days before Christmas.  There are cookies to bake, presents to wrap, cleaning to do to get ready for the big day!  As I was reading a bible study this morning I came upon the picture above.  Fitting for the season.  We all await the day we can open the gifts others have chosen for us.  Yet the greatest gift I feel I have received is Gods gift of Grace.  

Grace is given to us freely and we are meant to give it away as freely as we receive it.  See, God gives each of  his children SPECIFIC gifts.  During this season of the year, are you "giving away" your gifts the way God intended?

Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God’s grace in its various forms. 1 Peter 4:10

 Whether it’s serving or teaching, encouraging or leading, showing mercy or giving generously, when we exercise those gifts, we become “faithful dispensers of the magnificently varied grace of God” (PHILLIPS).

Do you give the gifts God has given you away?  Do you forgive? Do you honor others? Live in harmony with each other?  Accept one another? Kind and compassionate? Encourage and build each other up? Love deeply from the heart?

Hard questions aren't they?  When we really sit down and consider all we do and all we say, are we giving away as much as we've been given?  Honor others - that means put them first.  Hard to do? Only by God's grace can we practice being second.  Live in harmony with one another - sounds simple enough.  No drama, no slammed doors, no arguments or raised voices.  It starts in our homes.  Something to ponder.  Accept one another.  Know that everyone, even you, are flawed.  Sold "as is" means you buy it knowing there is something wrong.  Same with our friends and family - we agree to accept as is and love as is.  Practice it.  If we can do this in our homes, especially our church family, what a joyous time of year it could be.  Encourage and build up - you've heard the saying "If you don't have anything nice today, then don't say anything at all".  Jesus challenges us - be nice, and say it.  Speak up - it will change you and the bless the person you are encouraging. 

Grace - it comes in all forms.  The few mentioned above are mentioned in the Bible.  Lets practice giving more away this season.  It was given freely to us and where it came from there is an endless supply.  Give it away and more will be added to you. 

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