Grace

As a young Christian, the word grace was a puzzle for me. I had heard the word used many times and in many situations. My mother would make me say grace before eating meals. I had heard dukes and duchesses called “your grace.” When I was late for history class Ms. Hotel thanked me for “gracing the class with my presence.”My ballet teacher, Mrs. Benomini constantly admonished us girls for our lack of grace, insisting that we “find your grace ladies, pull it from inside!” It seemed my grandmother would not have been able to do anything were it not “by the grace of God.”Even the pastor seemed sold on the idea of grace and intent on selling us young believers on the idea as well.

So I wondered, what exactly is grace? I set out to find the meaning of this much-used word. The first place I looked was the dictionary. According to Merriam-Webster, grace is a noun meaning “a way of moving that is smooth and attractive; a controlled, polite, and pleasant way of behaving.” In its verb form, grace means “to decorate or add beauty to, to confer dignity or honor on.” Well, that certainly explained Mrs. Benomini’s tirades. Of course she was assuming we girls had something smooth, attractive, and controlled inside of us. I am not so sure that was true at the time. I actually wanted to go back and thank Ms. Hotel because now I knew she considered me a beautiful addition to her class and thought it an honor to have me there.

Still, I felt there had to be more to this word, a deeper meaning which connected it to our faith. My pastor is a stickler for Bible study. When approached with a question from a young believer he tends to give directions to resources instead of an answer. I’d experienced this before and this time was no exception. Pastor often says that to grow your faith you must grow your understanding and to grow your understanding you must do some digging. My favorite digging tools are my Holman Bible dictionary and the Word of God itself. So I gathered my tools and set out to grow some understanding. My work has been greatly rewarded.

According to Holman Bible dictionary, grace is basically undeserved acceptance and love given from one person to another. This in turn translates to the gift of unmerited favor, the salvation we Christians receive through Jesus Christ. Grace as used here is derived from the Greek word charis used in the New Testament to convey the idea of a favor or kindness done. It could also be a gift that brought pleasure to the recipient. When used from the viewpoint of the recipient charis refers to the thankfulness felt for the gift or favor. In the Old Testament the Hebrew word chanan was often translated as charis by the Greeks. The word chanan refers to one person turning to another in an act of kind assistance, such as aid to the poor.

Looking at this definition of grace, my heart flooded with love for our Heavenly Father. How gracious of Him, how kind, to save us from the sickness of sin. I am sure I speak for every Christian when I say that no greater gift or kindness has been bestowed upon us. Grace, the undeserved acceptance and love of God, shown to us by the sacrifice of His son, is the basis of our faith. 

Even though we don’t deserve it, God saw fit to send his son to dwell among us. “The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth” (John 1:14, NIV). God the Father, full of grace, accepts us and loves us so much that he sent his son to die so that we may live. The word of God tells us that we cannot earn such a great gift. No amount of good deeds or following the rules will make us worthy. “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus” (Romans 3:23-24, NIV).

Although salvation is the most divine example we Christians have of grace, it is by no means the only example. God has blessed us with many gifts. His creation is full of beauty and natural wonders which we get to live among and enjoy. From the sun which rises and shines overhead each day, to the beauty of it setting each evening, God’s grace is there. From the many colorful birds which soar through the air, to the countless creatures which swim in the sea, God’s grace is there. God’s grace is there in the crashing waters of Niagara Falls, in the beautiful expanse of the Grand Canyon, and in the tangles of roots of the Moreton Bay fig trees. God’s grace is there in the melody of our favorite song and in the smile on a loved one’s face.God’s gifts surround us, waiting to be acknowledged, accepted and enjoyed. Similarly, the gift of grace awaits each of us who will turn from sin and accept salvation through the One God sent. 

The abundance of God’s grace manifests not only in the sacrifice of Christ and in His many creations. God’s grace is also at work in us, supplying us with the power to do His will, giving the least of us the ability to do great works to His glory. “I became a servant of this gospel by the gift of God’s grace given me through the working of his power.Although I am less than the least of all the Lord’s people, this grace was given me: to preach to the Gentiles the boundless riches of Christ,” (Eph. 3:7-8).

The word grace appears in the New Testament well over 100 times. The Apostle Paul begins and ends each of his letters wishing grace for those he writes to. Theologian Frederick Buechner states in The Longing for Home, “Grace is the best he can wish them as grace is the best he himself ever received.” 

I am no longer puzzled by grace. I now know that grace, God’s unmerited favor, is the best I have ever received. There is no greater kindness than to be loved and accepted by my Father in Heaven. There is no greater gift than to receive salvation through Jesus Christ. God’s creation is full of grace and is to be cared for and protected by those of us who receive it and take part in enjoying it. I am humbled by grace and I am grateful for it. As a Christian I pledge my life to becoming more like Christ, to mirror his grace. It is my mission to show love and acceptance to all those I meet. I will pass on to others the favor and kindness shown to me. I will work to adorn this world we live in with the beauty of God’s grace.