How can we extend the lavish grace that we have been given by God to our families, to our Christian brothers and sisters, and to others who don’t know Him?
Here are some ABC’s of extending grace:
Assume the best in the lives of others, allowing them the grace of your trust that God is at work in their lives.
Bend when possible, demonstrating your desire to extend the freedom of grace in a way that is loving, beneficial, and responsible.
Compromise on the small details of life when love is the consideration more important than having everything done as you like.
Delight in joyful news, knowing that God rejoices with us when we rejoice!
Encourage the hearts of others so that they may come to understand that the wonderful love of God was expressed as He created them!
Friendship begins with a genuine interest in others, just as God cares about every detail in our lives and even knows the number of hairs upon our heads.
Greet people with a smile, remembering about each person that they are God’s unique creation and communicating clearly your joy in seeing them.
Help when you can, pray while you help, and keep praying when you can’t help in any other way.
Invite input for a special family time or outing with friends. Others may surprise you with their creative ideas, allowing you to invest in building relationships in new ways.
Just be patient! God isn’t finished me. and He isn’t finished with you yet, either! Grace is lavish love expressed through mercy and willingness to sacrifice.
Know when to listen and when to speak. Sometimes we express God’s grace by taking the time to understand the hearts of others.
Love one another, as Christ has loved you.
Make others feel welcome and valued! God demonstrates our worth through the ultimate grace gift of salvation in Christ.
Now is the time to pray for your neighbors, friends, family, people in the news, co-workers, and brothers and sisters in Christ…whenever they are brought to your mind for any reason.
Open hearts can give and receive love freely! Help others to feel that their hearts are safe in your presence so that they will be open to the message of God’s love and grace.
Put aside preferences! People are always more important than our preferences! Preferences (or what we think is best) in areas of clothing, music, behavior, etc. are NOT the gospel of Christ. We may associate these expectations with the Christian life in our own minds; but these things that we enjoy or that make us feel comfortable are often just part of our life experience, traditions, or the way the we were raised. They bring back memories of family times or worship and fellowship times that were personally meaningful. However, right now is what matters! If we want the Kingdom of God to come to pass in this world and want future generations to know the Lord, we must be open enough to make people feel welcome even if circumstances are not as comfortable for us.
Question to ask before you speak: “Will what I am about to say build up the body of Christ and the Kingdom of God?”
Rejoice when God is at work in the lives of people! We cannot be skeptics concerning decisions to follow Christ or follow Him in any area of life. The first thought in our minds when someone says ‘yes’ to God’s invitation should not be. “I wonder how long it will last.” We must instead be encouragers and also pray for new believers. If we are given the opportunity, we can also be directly involved in helping to disciple new believers.
Seek the Kingdom of God first! Leave self behind every morning for a natural outflow of grace extended to your fellow human beings!
Treat the hearts of children with tenderness. They will more readily respond to God’s love and grace if they have seen the evidence of it in the lives of God’s people.
Understand that we are all at different points in our journey. Grace lets go of expectations and meets us where we are.
Value the person MORE than any outward manifestations (clothing, appearance, social awkwardness, position, intelligence, special needs, behavior, rudeness, or moral failures). That’s what Jesus does for us!
Walk in love. Random acts of kindness are not random when done in the name of Jesus. He has brought this person across your path. It is not up to us to make judgements about whether others deserve kindness. Rather, we are to be vessels that God can use to share His lovingkindness with others.
eXpect the Lord to touch hearts, and pray for those around you (even people that you do not know). Rather than becoming annoyed or upset about someone who is living an immoral lifestyle, pray for him or her!
Yesterday is gone…forgive! We are to forgive others with the same grace that has been shown to us
Zip your lip….bite it if you have to! Resolve to speak words of kindness and uphold the dignity of all people as unique creations of Almighty God. Let Him work on their problems and their hearts! He’s got the master plan and the power to change lives!
“For it is all for your sake, so that as grace extends to more and more people it may increase thanksgiving, to the glory of God.”
— II Corinthians 4:15
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(These ABC’s are far from elementary. I’ll be working on them for the rest of my life! The more we know,…the more we grow!)
This post was written by C. A. Boyd. It was originally published on our primary blog, which addresses the subjects of life, ministry, worship, music, and discipleship. You’ll find many other posts on our original blog which are not on this blog at http://www.worshipsounds.wordpress.com
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Do you know Jesus?
The decision to ask Jesus to come into your heart and life as your Lord and Savior is the best decision you could ever make! The one true God is ready to give you forgiveness and eternal life as soon as you understand your need for Him and believe on the name of His only Son, Jesus, for your salvation. Here’s a blog page link to help you find the answers to your questions about Jesus. http://www.boydbrainmusic.wordpress.com/do-you-know-jesus/
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praise4ever
Travis L. Boyd / WorshipSounds Music
Family Song 