Saturday, August 25, 2012


"In truth, our frustration, anxiety, and lack of fulfillment and victory over sin have more to do with our reaction to circumstances than with the circumstances themselves, and in turn our reactions are governed by our understanding of God’s grace. God never promised a pain-free life, but he did promise that his grace is all we need in our search for peace and fulfillment. “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” —2 Corinthians 12: 9 For many, grace is just a word we sing, a recitation of mindless words on a Sunday morning. We carry on with life, unmoved and unmotivated by the magnitude of God’s character. Others have given up completely, having heard the word but failing to understand its depth. Grace. An athletic quality, right? Grace. Aren’t we supposed to call royalty, “Your Grace?” Sure I know about grace. I say grace before meals, at least when I’m not in a restaurant. [1] God’s grace? His kindness, right? For too many grace is an out-there word, too abstract to curl into your arms and embrace. The enormity of its importance has been lost in contemporary language. It seems a bit like the quality of niceness exuded by Mr. Rogers on his beloved TV show. Our concept is anemic, weakened by a society content with substitutes, false gospels of self-worship, and materialism. But God’s grace is amazing. I almost hesitate to use that adjective, for fear you will skip over its meaning. Amazing. Astonishing. Astounding. My Microsoft dictionary defines amazing this way: “So extraordinary or wonderful as to be barely believable or cause extreme surprise.” So yes, amazing is a perfectly good description of the gospel of grace."

Kraus, Harry (2012-08-14). Breathing Grace: What You Need More Than Your Next Breath (Kindle Locations 139-161).  . Kindle Edition.

Blogs to return Monday

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