Abundant Grace

This past weekend, it was Easter. I had such a fun time celebrating with my friends, going to service, and enjoying yummy meals. However, when I sat down to think about Jesus’ sacrifice and what He’s done for me, I felt a wave of disappointment and shame wash over me. As much as I hate to admit it, this hasn’t been the most spiritually fruitful or impressive season of my life. I’ve been struggling with consistency and motivation, and I often feel like I’m existing instead of living life to the full. When I dwell on what Jesus endured for me to be set free and have a relationship with the Father, I can’t help but feel like I’ve let Him down. I convinced myself that my shortcomings make me more unworthy of His love than I ever have been. As I sat with Jesus and repented, He spoke such a sweet truth over me. He said, “daughter, this is the version of you that I died for.” What a sweet reminder that is. Jesus died for the broken version of me. The version of me who’s at rock bottom with nowhere else to go. The version of me who can’t clean herself up no matter how hard she tries. That’s why He died for me. He did it so I could be reconciled to God and receive grace instead of judgment. Love instead of wrath. 

Romans 5:8 says, “God demonstrates His own love for us in this: while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” 

The word says while we were STILL sinners. It doesn’t say “after we stopped sinning” or “once we cleaned ourselves up.” It says that Christ looked at me in my mess, my sin, my guilt, and my shame and still took upon my cross. He did it for you, too, because He loves you that much. 

Ephesians 1:4-6 says, “For He chose us in Him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in His sight. In love He predestined us for adoption to sonship through Jesus Christ, in accordance with His pleasure and will – to the praise of His glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One He loves.” 

That means that before we were anything and before we did anything, God chose us and adopted us as His daughters and sons. He already knew He would send Jesus to save us, so that we could receive His free gift of grace. HALLELUJAH. God wanted you before you were even born. He loved you before you had done anything, which means there’s nothing you can do to increase or decrease His love for you. When we fall short, He meets us with nothing but boundless grace. We may be rich in mistakes, but our Father is rich in mercy. God isn’t stingy with His grace. He’s not withholding it from us or rationing it. 

Ephesians 2:4-9 says, “But because of His great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions – it is by grace you have been saved. And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with Him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, in order that in the coming ages He might show the incomparable riches of His grace, expressed in His kindness to us in Christ Jesus. For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith – and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God – not by works, so that no one can boast.” 

This scripture tells us everything we need to know. 

• We are made alive in Christ and our transgressions have no hold on us

• We are saved by grace, not by works

• His grace is a FREE gift

• His grace is incomparable

• He is for us, not against us

If I know that God meets my sin with grace, why wouldn’t I meet myself that way as well? As hard as it can be, we must believe we are forgiven and walk in that. The enemy would love for us to wallow in shame and guilt, but we must choose to walk in freedom and mercy. Not because we deserve it, but because He’s freely given it to us. Now, this doesn’t mean that we become complacent and comfortable in our sin. It means we stop beating ourselves up for our past mistakes, we repent and receive grace, and we allow His goodness to motivate our obedience. We let His mercy lead us to transformation. Instead of hiding from Him in shame, we run to Him in confession. We let His goodness and mercy follow us all the days of our lives. I find that the more I repent, the more I surrender, the more I give of myself to the Lord, the more He amazes me with His tender, loving kindness. The more I long to be with Him. The answer to our sin isn’t to run and hide. The answer to our sin is to give it to the One who already bore it on the cross. 

All this being said, I no longer feel guilty or disappointed in myself for struggling in this season. I feel immensely grateful that I serve a Savior who lavishes boundless grace on me. For when I am weak, He is strong, and He is the one who sustains me. Go and receive the grace of the Father today. It’s already waiting for you.