Thread of Grace

The more I write for Extravagant Grace, the more sensitive I've become about what grace really means and how it works its way into every day life. For most of us, grace is this big picture sort of thing that we see through life-transforming events or in light of the Gospel message...

The time in which our faith is transformed into a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.

For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— (Ephesians 2:8)

The moment we realized we deserve the consequences of our own sin, but that Jesus paid the price for them with His death on the cross.

In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God's grace. (Ephesians 1:7)

The event that reminds us that living, breathing, and experiencing life as you do, is temporary and may change at any moment.

We may even recognize God's extravagant grace in the quieter moments of life, like the beauty of a sunset, the stillness of the house on a cool winter morning when everyone is still snuggled in their beds, and the laughter of a child as he is tickled all over.

But there is another aspect of God's grace that many of us overlook--it is the grace that must permeate our private lives, deepest thoughts, and relationships with others. Without God's grace, we are held captive by our sin: from anger to guilt, bitterness to self-condemnation, pride to perfectionism. Let me give you just a few examples, in which the Lord revealed this to me...

PRIVATE LIVES
I impulsively bought a coat last week. I didn't need it and didn't have the money to spend on it. The whole time, I knew I should put it back, but I didn't. My stomach churned and neck broke out in a sweat. But I marched to the register, swiped the credit card, and spent the next half-hour trying to convince myself why I needed this lovely coat.

I didn't need it. I wanted it. It took about four days before I finally returned the coat. But first I had to swallow my pride, admit to myself, and the Lord, that I was impulsive and rebellious in my spending, ask God to forgive me, and forgive myself. Ultimately, I needed to accept God's grace. Without doing so, I couldn't take the next step to do the right thing. Hopefully, I will make the right choice next time. That's my plan, as long as sin doesn't get in the way again! Maybe I will trip up, but hopefully, I will remember that accepting God's grace is much more pleasant than living rebelliously!

But he gives us more grace. That is why Scripture says: "God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble." James 4:6

DEEPEST THOUGHTS
I want to lose some weight and exercise more. Just a little bit of effort would be enough to make a healthy difference for my body. Even though I make a plan to exercise and to cut out the sweets, the minute I face temptation, my determination falls apart. I fall of the horse and figure that while I'm lying on the ground I'll just keep being lazy and pigging out for the rest of the day. Instead, I need to get back up on the horse and start anew the minute I realize I'm lying flat on the ground! What I need to do is accept God's grace and start again, instead of pushing it off until I can't handle the guilt any longer! The question is, will I accept God's grace or won't I?

Therefore, prepare your minds for action; be self-controlled; set your hope fully on the grace to be given you when Jesus Christ is revealed. 1 Peter 1:13

RELATIONSHIPS
She never called me back! He didn't ask what I wanted! They never say thank you! Relationships are hard and require give and take. The problem is that we want them to be easy. Instead of extending grace and compassion toward one another, we harbor bitterness and resentment for no good reason. What we need to do is accept God's grace to cover the mistakes of our loved ones as well as our own fumbles and hurtful mishaps. The question is, will we or won't we accept God's grace?

See to it that no one misses the grace of God and that no bitter root grows up to cause trouble and defile many. Hebrews 12:15

Do you see the thread of grace that weaves throughout our lives?
Each scenario is different. Each sin has its own description. But the healing remedy is the same each time: GRACE! If only we could get our hands around it and begin the practice of it! But it requires focus, consistency, and resolve. This is why I am launching the Thread of Grace campaign! I need accountability! Will you join me in looking for the thread of grace in your life with the commitment to take hold of it in every situation? It couldn't be any easier...

1. Prayerfully consider this covenant with the Lord. It is up to you how to remind yourself of it. Write it out in your journal. Paste it into your Bible. Put it on your blog. But it is between you and the Lord. Don't make it if you don't mean it!

I, ____________, commit to living a life marked by grace, available to me by my faith in Jesus Christ as Lord, who died for the forgiveness of my sins through the shedding of His blood on the cross. His death, followed by His resurrection on the third day, provided the one and only sacrifice needed for my sins.

As I live a life marked by His grace, I will strive to recognize my own sin, seeking forgiveness from the Lord, including myself and others if necessary, and readily accept God's forgiveness. I will commit to practicing forgiveness with others and myself.

In His grace, I will move forward resolving to live rightly, with right thinking based on the Scriptures, again and again. Instead of wallowing in my sin and being held captive by my guilt or pride, I will repent and live free, redeemed in Christ.

2. Memorize this verse.

2 Corinthians 12:9

Each time he said, “My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness.” So now I am glad to boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ can work through me.

double click on the graphic below with the verse to open it in a new window and print it out

3. Live in Grace. Each time you find yourself falling down again in an area of your life that you know the Lord has victory for you, make the choice to live in GRACE and to not be held captive by your sin.

For sin shall not be your master, because you are not under law, but under grace. Romans 6:14

4. Encourage others to live by grace and share the Lord's grace with them often. This means getting good at admitting your sin to yourself and the Lord, being able to say I'm sorry, and being quick to forgive.

However, I consider my life worth nothing to me, if only I may finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me—the task of testifying to the gospel of God's grace. Acts 20:24

5. Spread the word. Tell others about the Thread of Grace covenant and campaign and get them involved in holding you accountable. Feel free to post the graphic at your blog and print it out to remind you of your commitment. Be sure to leave a comment or sign Mister Linky below to share with others your commitment!

Copy this code below for the graphic and link...

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May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God,
and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.
2 Corinthians 13:14