God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. (Ephesians 2:8)

While watching one of my favorite TV dramas, I pondered over a line I had just heard by one of the main characters. In the story, the head of an emergency room in a challenged, sometimes understaffed, inner-city hospital was questioned by one of the nurses about an order she had just given.  Apparently it contradicted her usual protocol about how to care for a certain type of patient.  The director of the E. R. simply looked at the nurse and made the following response referring to her directive: “He’s already paid the ultimate price. I decided to choose grace.” This got me to thinking when, if at all, we are capable of showing grace to another person. Or is that an impossible task for anyone, except for Almighty God? If it is true that when we experience God’s grace, we receive favor that we do not deserve . . . then I think as beings who are created in His image (Genesis 1:27), we too must be capable of showing grace at times to others.

I remember a friend of mine once telling me that in his work, he would sometimes have to discharge persons after they had broken company policies.  He shared that he would always try to allow the person he was releasing to leave with a sense of dignity. If possible, he would supply a reference for them to get another job, even though in order for him to do so – they might be forced to seek employment in another field. While he was obligated to follow the company’s employment procedures, he always tried to put himself in the position of the person he was releasing by showing concern for the person’s future. To me, what he attempted to do was an example of showing grace to others. He went on to say that there were times years later when he would run into some of these individuals who would come up to him and thank him for giving them a new start. He operated by the principle that we need to get along with people without hurting them, even when they challenge us to do otherwise.

I am reminded of a story of a wealthy man who hired an impoverished builder to construct a house. Per the man’s instruction, the house was to be magnificent. The builder was given unlimited resources and was told to use the finest material. Instead, the builder decided that he could cut corners by using inferior products. While doing so, he covered up gaps and masked his mistakes. While beautiful in appearance, the home would soon reveal its poor workmanship. It would undoubtedly leak and be unable to keep out the heat and cold. Upon completion, he handed the keys to the man who had commissioned him. However, the wealthy man never meant for the house to be his own. Because he had sensed the need of the poor builder, he had intended that the dream home be a gift, one that would protect he and his family for years to come. So instead of taking the keys to the house, he gave them back saying, “I wanted it to be a source of grace and blessing to you and your family.”

I wonder how many times we were intended to be the recipient of God’s free gift of grace but failed to recognize it as our own.  If we look closely at the world around us, we will see many a person who is thirsty for grace. In our journey, we will also soon discover that life’s greatest hurts come from other people. They use us, take advantage of us, or turn their backs on us. Yet, if we are going to be like Jesus, we need to love others – even those who are difficult to love. Jesus set the example for us, coming to earth to be one of us and then dying for all of mankind, even for those who hated Him most. “From his abundance we have all received one gracious blessing after another. For the law was given through Moses, but God’s unfailing love and faithfulness came through Jesus Christ” (John 1:16-17). What He provides for us is a gift we don’t deserve. To claim this gift, you must sense your own need and receive it with open hands.  Now, that is amazing grace. How sweet the sound!

REFLECTION: Consider the difference between grace and mercy, the latter being defined as the withholding of what we do deserve. Can you think of examples of both in your own life?

A NEW LOOKUP  DEVOTION IS UPLOADED EACH WEEK. THE NEXT WEEKLY POSTING WILL BE ON SAT., OCTOBER 29, 2016.  COMMENTS ARE WELCOMED.