Love and Grace Part 2

If you have not read the first part of this series, please read that first.

Several months ago I got to hear an interview that my brother-in-law Ted did on the Issues Etc. radio show on Grace Centered Parenting. The interview was in regards to how his own father had raised him. I recommend any one interested in listening to it, to do so.
(http://issuesetcarchive.org/07sep.php You have to go to the September 18th episode, and the hour that he is on, it is half way through when you hear the interview.)

This was the beginning of another unexpected journey in what it means to live a life of grace. Not just in parenting, but in all of life.

As I studied scripture, the theme of God's grace really stood out to me. If God has such immense grace on us in all things, are we not to have the same grace on others? Once again, how does this look?

God's grace on us is completely undeserving. It is not that we are so attractive and wonderful that he wants to just lavish grace on us, it is out of his love for us. He lavishes on us all of the good and wonderful gifts that he has to offer, and not because of any attractiveness that we bestow. Things that we do not deserve, salvation, blessing, faithfulness. The list goes on.

We come into contact with all kinds of people on a daily basis. It may be our children. Our spouses. People at Church. So on and so on. Some of them are easy to love, and some not so much. Sometimes they are just annoying, and sometimes they are downright unkind.

And yet our love and attitude toward them is not to be contingent on their behavior. We are called to love them, and the grace comes in when we realize we are to love them whether they deserve it or not. Face it, none of us deserves the love and grace of God, and yet He lavishes it on us.

You see, this is ultimately where people see Christ in us. Not when we preach at them, or self righteousnessly hang out all of our good works. Whether it be people that do not yet know Christ, or even more so those in the body of Christ, I truly believe that this is one of the greatest lessons learned.

Sola Gratia