"God of... all grace"

“But may the God of all grace who called us to His eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after you have suffered a while, perfect, establish, strengthen, and settle you.” (1 Peter 5:10 NKJV)

    Grace is an often misunderstood aspect of God, but the context in which we find this term, “God of all grace,” offers us much insight on the subject of grace.

Grace (from the Greek ‘charis’) is defined as kindness, a leaning toward to bless, a favour given although not earned.

    We can never repay God for what He has done for us: giving us life, breath and all things, giving us His Son to die for us so we can have remission of sins and live in hope, granting us the necessities of life (food, water, and clothing). We could never be in a position where God would owe us, we are all reliant on His grace, but we can prove to Him that we desire His blessings, value His wisdom, and appreciate His mercy and grace by diligently searching for Him and finding Him (Acts 17:24-27), by walking just as Jesus walked and loving one another (1 John 2:1-11; 4:7-19), and seeking first His kingdom and His righteousness (Matthew 6:25-34).    

Look at 1 Peter 5:5-12:

Your part:

• If you are a younger person, you must submit to your elders (obey instruction of those older in the faith, those who hold the office of the elders Hebrews 13:17)
• All of us must be submissive to one another and clothed in humility (not seeking power/control over another, but having lowliness of mind knowing that you make mistakes and are still learning, and so are your brethren, Galatians 6:1-3)
• You must humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God (James 4:7-10)
• You must cast all your care upon Him (Philippians 4:6-7)
• You must be sober and vigilant (serious and watchful, consider 1 Corinthians 16:13, Ephesians 5:15-17, 1 Peter 1:13-16)
• You must resist the devil and remain steadfast in the faith (your brethren suffer in the same way, Ephesians 6:16, 1 Corinthians 15:58)
• You must suffer awhile (James 1:2-4, 1 Peter 1:6-9; 4:12-19)

God’s part:

• He will give grace to the humble (James 4:4-7, Proverbs 3:31-35)
• He cares for you (consider Hebrews 4:16, anytime, anywhere)
• He has called us to His eternal glory by Christ Jesus (God calls us by the gospel, 2 Thessalonians 2:13-17)
• He will perfect you (2 Timothy 3:16-17, Hebrews 5:14)
• He will establish you (Romans 5:25-27, 1 Thessalonians 3:11-13)
•  He will strengthen you (Ephesians 1:17-19; 6:10-11)
•  He will settle you (Philippians 4:1-13, the assurances of “by this we know”/”we know” statements throughout 1 and 2 John)

“I have written to you briefly, exhorting and testifying that this is the grace of God in which you stand.” (1 Peter 5:12b NKJV)

 God graciously promised these blessings to those who submit to Him and obey His instructions, declaring to Him our desire to be pleasing to Him and right in His sight – will we ever get it all right? No, and that is why we are so thankful for His grace. God will do His part if we do our part to the best of our abilities! Show the God of all grace whose side you desire to be on! Do what He asks of you and wholly appreciate His wonderful gift of grace!!

You can do it! So can I!!

Fix It So You Can Flourish: Are You Repaying Evil or Regarding Good?

    I've been thinking a lot lately on Romans 12. It's a great chapter, jam-packed with great instructions and so much information to meditate on! This week in our "Fix It So You Can Flourish' series, I would like you to consider Romans 12:17-18:

"Repay no one evil for evil. Have regard for good things in the sight of all men. If it is possible, as much as depends on you, live peaceably with all men." (NKJV)

    Have you heard this before: "Don't sink to their level."  This phrase (which I heard often growing up) always brought an image to my mind of people standing in thick, slimy mud - the more upset they got, the more they struggled, the further they would sink into the mud.

    It's a simple statement that restates the biblical admonition we find in Romans 12:17 - "repay no one evil for evil." It's an instruction telling us to not 'follow suit.' Do not sling the mud back at the mud-slinger.

    God requires us to be different (Romans 12:2). He desires for us to choose His way - a path different from the common heavily traveled one we find in the world. How do we walk on this good pathway? By having regard for good things in the sight of all men!

    God does not want us wasting our mental energies on retaliation plans (Micah 2:1) or thinking up the perfect thing to say that 'would put them in their place.' God does not want us abusing our verbal skills by uttering hurtful/harmful/hateful words (Ephesians 4:29-32, Titus 3:2, James 3:9-10). Instead, God wants us to hone our skills in thinking on and speaking up with suggestions that provide good in all situations.

    Rather than adding to the negativity of any situation (our own or that of others), God wants us to offer a suggestion that will bring resolution and peace. God does not want us to be part of the problem, He wants us to be part of the solution!

"If it is possible, as much as depends on you, live peaceably with all men."

    Plain and simple - If it is possible live peaceably with all men. The important bit is the 'as much as depends on you.' All interaction is akin to a tennis match - a game of back and forth. When you have a negative, hurtful interaction and the 'ball' is in your court ("as much as depends on you" - your response is a big factor in how the game will play out!) you have the choice to either hit back with the same behaviour/words that are hurting you (repay evil for evil) OR provide good to the situation by responding with grace, mercy, and kindness -     

    Romans 12 finishes with a clear instruction in verse 21:

"Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good."

    So from this day onward, provide good. Build your skills in peacemaking and use your mental prowess to develop good suggestions that could make for peace. And as much as it depends on you, step skillfully and carefully out of the mud puddle and help your companion out of it too!

    Leave the rest up to God. Go to Him in prayer, ask for wisdom (James 1:5). He will help you if you desire to obey His instructions. God is AWESOME like that!! :)

    If you have been in the habit of repaying evil for evil - or simply dwelling on imaginary scenarios that revolve around such - please consider the instructions in Romans 12 and fix it so you can flourish! Read, study, and pray to better appreciate the grace and mercy God continues to extend to you each day, so that you can extend it, yourself, more willingly to others! Grace and mercy enables good solutions to flourish and good solutions bring glory to God (Matthew 5:16, Titus 3:8)! Are you ready to flourish in your regard for good?

You can do it! So can I!!