Weekly Magazine | How to Give Grace to Those Around Us
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Dear Friends,
Grace is one of those words we say often but don’t always know what to do with. We know God has given it to us and that we’re supposed to be grace-filled as we interact with others. But then there are the times when someone cuts us off in traffic, or that conversation with a friend goes sideways… and grace can feel like the hardest thing to offer.
But we can’t think of grace as something we have to do, like another chore on our to-do list.
This issue, we’re exploring what it means to extend grace when it doesn’t come easily. How do we offer it to the people who test our patience? Or, for that matter, receive it when we’re the ones who need it most? And what happens to our hearts when we choose it, again and again, even when it’s hard?
Encouraging you in God’s truth,
Grace Poured Out | T. Windahl
What does it actually look like to extend grace in everyday life? Using a memorable acrostic, T. Windahl walks us through five Spirit-led practices, from glorifying God in our words to choosing to see others through His eyes, that can transform the way we relate to those around us.
Resolve Conflict the Right Way | Margaret Kemp
It started over tacos, but most conflicts do start over something small, don't they? Margaret Kemp takes a deep look at 1 Corinthians 13 and unpacks what love-based conflict resolution actually looks like, from managing our emotions to committing to a win-win solution.
Grace in Hard Conversations | Kimberly Cotton
We've all put our foot in our mouth a time or two. Kimberly Cotton writes with refreshing honesty about the moment she said the wrong thing, and what God taught her on the other side of it. Hard conversations are part of life, but we can be assured that His grace is present in every one of them.
Also:
Grace Poured Out
An Acrostic for Extending God’s Grace.
By T. Windahl
Grace—amazing, beautiful, and immeasurable grace—is a gift from God’s hand poured out on us, His children. And as recipients of this grace, we are to extend grace to those around us.
As I pondered God’s grace and sought to be a vessel of it, I thought an acrostic using the word GRACE might be helpful to remember and to encourage us along the way.
G — GLORIFY God
When I think about pouring out grace on those around me, I believe the best starting point from which grace will freely flow is to glorify God. We can live in a way that brings God glory through our words and actions. According to Scripture, we were created to give God glory (Isa. 43:7), and we are to give God glory in everything we do (1 Cor. 10:31).
I still remember a time when I was tempted to share something with a friend—something negative about someone who had deeply wounded me. With those negative thoughts swirling on my mind, I sensed the Holy Spirit reminding me that I was created to give God glory. If I shared those negative thoughts, I would not bring glory to God. Remembering that truth helped me to keep those negative thoughts to myself.
As we seek to be vessels of God’s grace, how else can we bring glory to God? The Bible tells us that by praising Him (Ps. 50:23a) and by reflecting His character—by loving others or by being merciful, patient, compassionate, or forgiving—we glorify God. We can also bring God glory by obeying Him, trusting Him, and sharing what He has done for us.
