Living By Grace

“My grace is sufficient for you.”
2 Corinthians 12:9

God is great, God is good. Let us thank Him for our food – Amen. What is grace? As a child growing up, I thought grace was the short prayer I said before we ate our food. Although giving thanks before meals is often referred to as saying grace, there is so much more to it when it comes to God’s grace. A common definition is “unmerited favor” or “receiving what we don’t deserve”.

God’s grace refers to His kindness and favour extended to us.

God is gracious; it is who He is.
It is in His nature to extend grace.
We cannot earn it; it is freely given.
It is a gift.

When it comes to God’s grace there are two main facets to consider; first, we are saved by grace and secondly, we live by grace. No matter how hard we try, we can never be good enough to earn our way to heaven. It is by grace you have been saved, through faith not from yourselves, it is the gift of God – not works so that no one can boast – Ephesians 2:8-9. This verse describes how we are saved by grace, but what does it mean to live by grace?

I have read some excellent books on this topic, but I have learned the most about what it means to live by grace when life is hard, and I feel powerless. It has been in my weakness and through suffering that I have experienced what it means to live by grace. It is easy to think I am in control and can handle things when life is going well but when I face an unexpected hardship that is when it hits me – I can’t do this. When I am in a crisis, struggling with sin, temptation, depression, anxiety, fear, or discouragement, I need help beyond just me. This is when I need to live by God’s grace.

My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore, I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.”
– 2 Corinthians 12:9-10

The world promotes independence and self- sufficiency, but it is in our weakness that we are strong if we learn to live by God’s grace. Life is hard and it is during life’s storms that we often reach the end of ourselves.

When we don’t have the strength or what it takes in our own effort to get through a crisis it can feel overwhelming. It is natural to ask God to remove the thorn, calm the storm, miraculously heal, or deliver us. God can work in those ways and sometimes He does. But there are also times that just like Paul, He says, “my grace is sufficient for you”.

Right now, I am going through a personal storm. Perhaps some of you are as well. This storm was unexpected, and it is very hard. I have been reminded of this verse and the truth that It is in my weakness I am strong because Christ’s power rests on me. Even though I am facing some life altering challenges, I am also learning in deeper ways to live by God’s grace.

When life is hard, we learn to live by grace as we trust God and surrender our lives and our challenges (big and small) to Him. We learn to live by God’s grace in our recovery as we trust Him to help us apply the Biblical steps and principles. No matter what hardship we are facing God’s grace is sufficient; in our weakness we are strong in Him.

About the Author

Glenda DeVries is on staff with Compass Point as our Pastor of Care and Recovery

She has journeyed through her own struggles with depression and works with others through our Celebrate Recovery Program, which offers weekly support, accountability and teaching so we can be strengthened as we intentionally apply what we learn no matter what we are facing.

Follow Our Celebrate Recovery Page

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