Grace is a Beautiful Thing

Last month at Southeast Christian Church Kyle Idleman did a series on Grace. It was called Grace > (is greater than). Grace is a beautiful thing.

The second lesson in the series was called: Grace > Hurts.  This was a very timely lesson for me. I realized while listening to Kyle talk that grace is greater than all my inadequacies, hurts, losses, and  lousy memories. That’s a beautiful thing.

Kyle Idleman is an amazing teacher. I often come home with many things to think on when he teaches. that’s why I wrote What is Wrong With a Mega Church? Here are a few things Kyle said that gave me something to ponder during this series:

Grace is beautiful when you receive it but messy when you see it.

The test is when you extend grace to someone who has hurt you the most and deserves it the least. This is when you know it’s real.

Stop thinking about the wrong that’s been done to you and focus on the things Jesus did for you instead. Was he talking to me, really?

Grace is indeed a beautiful thing. These are powerful words. But we can’t mistake grace for a way out of taking responsibility for our lives, our actions, or the inappropriate and harmful behaviors of others we are in a relationship with.

Grace is huge. Without it there is no hope. Finding the balance, owning our stuff while accepting grace is the goal, though none too easy to achieve.

Finding out about grace is freeing. I am free to forgive; myself and others, but free too, to do the next right thing.

Hebrews 12:15 says: See to it that no one misses the grace of God. Wow!

The last two lessons in the series left me with more to ponder. One thing was this; God doesn’t ask me to forgive more than I have been forgiven. What do I do with this? What do I do with it all?

Again, it is important to keep in mind that forgiveness does not equal forgetting or letting someone off the hook. It is imperative to own our actions ALWAYS!

Kyle also encouraged us to delight in our weaknesses. Delight in them? We don’t even like to acknowledge them! In our weakness is when God can show up. I know this to be true but to know our weaknesses, share them with others and allow God to be in them is a journey I have just started.

Grace > circumstances. All circumstances. My circumstances. Your circumstances. God knows. He sees. And His grace is greater.

Grace is a beautiful thing. A messy thing. A necessary thing to live a life of freedom and peace.

See to it that no one misses the grace of God.

I hope they don’t, my friend. I hope they don’t.