Grace

My word for 2016 is Grace!

I chose this word because I started this blog, Saved By Grace! When I named the blog, I prayed for God to reveal what His desire in the name would be, and it happened almost immediately. I realized then that He knew I needed to learn more about His grace. Ephesians 2:8 says; For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith - and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God - This has always been one of my favorite Bible verses, and it was the first one I memorized. Memorized, but really had no idea what it meant! 

I have been a christian for about 11 years now, and until last spring I had no clue what accepting God's grace meant, let alone how to give or extend grace to others.  

I carried so much guilt from my past, and I knew without a doubt that I had been forgiven, but it was hard to accept His grace. To think that He so willingly and lovingly handed His grace to me. I also knew that by accepting His grace, I would have to extend grace to others. I wasn't sure I could do that. I harbored so many hurts and resentments deep in my heart, and I didn't know how to fully let go of these things. I wore a mask well. Most people knew nothing about the feelings buried deep down that only I was allowed to feel. 

Last Spring I was doing a Bible study with some amazing women that I have met through social media. I heard and read stories of their past. How they received God's grace, and how they have been forgiven. They have been able to move on, to help others, to be an inspiration, to tell their stories, and to give all the glory to God! It was then that I realized that I had been harboring these feelings and resentments. It was then that I prayed, I asked for God's forgiveness, AGAIN!  I asked Him to show me how to truly accept His grace that He so willingly offers, and to be able to truly extend grace to others, all the people who have hurt me, or those whom I have been holding grudges against. 

Wikipedia defines grace as:

"The love and mercy given to us by God because God desires us to have it, not because of anything we have done to earn it."

I still have my days where I struggle with both receiving and giving grace, but I have come a long way over the past year, and I take great comfort in knowing that God ALWAYS gives grace, and His grace will ALWAYS be with me. 

Linking up with Barbie at Weekend Whispers