Joyce Meyer on grace:
Grace really is amazing.
If youve been a Christian for any amount of time, chances are you have struggled with frustrating habits or been disappointed by failures or just couldnt do it (whatever your it is). But once you have a revelation of Gods grace in your life, youll know just how amazing it is!
Well, what is grace?
Im glad you asked. But first, think of a problem youre having in your life right nowa bad habit, conflict in a relationship, a particularly long and difficult period of testing. Now I want to ask you: Have you been trying to make things work out? If so, have they
or are you discouraged, disappointed, or frustrated?
If your answer is yes, then you are in the best place to realize just how amazing Gods grace really is! You see, grace is the power to overcome bad habits, to make peace in a relationship, or to bring you victoriously through a time of testingwithout all your trying. Thats because it is Gods power, not ours, that overcomes our evil tendencies.
All that our trying has ever done, or will ever really do, is cause frustration. We can never make ourselves better by trying
praying more or longer, studying more of the Word, performing good works, etc. Dont get me wrong
its not bad to do any of these things. In fact, its good. Its just that doing them in Gods power is the only way those things will have any real and lasting effect in our lives.
The interesting thing about trying is that its not scriptural. Yes, the word is in the Bible. But, its not there telling us to try to do better or be better. If you look it up, youll see that when that word is used, its in reference to the trying of our faith, trying the spirits, or trying us to prove our character. All our trying, or human effort, is really just works of the flesh that can never bring about the change in us that only Gods power, or grace, can.
Its certainly not wrong to want to be a better person. God gave us that desire. But according to Galatians 3:10, ...anyone who tries to live by his own effort, independent of God, is doomed to failure (MSG). Thats why so much of the time we will find ourselves frustrated, disappointed and overwhelmed by the stuff in our lives. We try to work it out on our own. And that will never do.
Choose His Help
God wants to help us
He loves us
we are His children. But He will not force His help on us at any time. He sees us when we struggle and fight and complain our way through things. And I believe it breaks His heart, when all we have to do is ask Him for help.
God taught me this truth in a way Ill never forget. My husband, Dave, is tall. Im not so tall. We have a really high window over the kitchen sink in our house. When that window is open, theres no way for me to close it without a big ordeal. But how do you think it would make Dave feel if I ran out of the house to go ask the man next door to come and close that window for me? Or what if I tried to do it myself, straining and stretching, maybe climbing up on the counter, possibly knocking things over, getting all worn-out
while Dave was sitting right there? That would really be insulting to him. In the same way, it grieves God to watch us struggle so needlessly, when all the while, He is right there waiting for us to simply exchange trying for trusting.
His grace is the power for living an abundant life. Our faith receives, not buys, the blessings of God. Striving, struggling, trying can never do that. Ephesians 2:8-9 tells us that it is by grace you have been saved, through faithand this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of Godnot by works, so that no one can boast (NIV).
So in the same way we became born again, we live in the Spiritby Gods grace, through faith. Its simple. Humble yourself. Ask God for His help. Then, do what He says. Trust in His powerHe is mighty to do whatever we need Him to do and to help us do our part. Trust in His wisdomHe knows what, when and how to do it.
Trust in His goodnessHe wants to do it.
Now, isnt that amazing?
