For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard. Yet God, in his grace, freely makes us right in his sight. He did this through Christ Jesus when he freed us from the penalty for our sins. –Romans 3:23-24 NLT
What is this thing called “grace”? We often hear people describing dancers or figure skaters as being graceful. We envision movements that are beautiful, delicate, and perhaps perfect. But, even the most gifted dancer or figure skater occasionally takes a fall. And, no matter how gracefully they rise, this error almost always prevents them from receiving the gold medal.Thankfully, our challenge, as Christians, is different. Try as we might, we do not always get it right. We lose our patience. We say the wrong thing. We can be selfish and self-absorbed. We fall. Yet, through God’s grace—His unearned favor—we can get another chance to do better, even if it still is not 100 percent right. “... Press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us” (Philippians 3:14 NLT). We are assured that in the end, we will get the gold medal.Every new challenge is a chance to get a little better, a little stronger, and a little closer to our Creator and what He has envisioned for our lives. Therefore, “Let us run with endurance the race God has set before us” (Hebrews 12:1 NLT).
Thank the Lord for His grace and forgiveness when you stumble.
Ask God to fill you with His grace to forgive others who offend you.