[Jesus said,] “I tell you the truth, if you had faith even as small as a mustard seed, you could say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it would move. Nothing would be impossible.†       Matthew 17:20 (NLT)
I was talking to another wife/mom-type person the other day. We were discussing the need for grace in our lives. The need for grace especially in our relationships with our husband and children. We seem to recognize and ask for grace in our relationships with co-workers and those we “run into†in our daily routine but family – not so much.
I spend more time with my family than anyone else. I spend more time with them when I am tired and have reached the limits of my patience. So chances are this is when I need more grace!
So if I call on God in those moments when I need more grace, “Lord, I do not feel like being loving right now. You said that if I had faith like a tiny mustard seed I could move mountains. You said your grace would be ‘sufficient’ (2 Corinthians 12:9) for my need. I need some grace right now so I am counting on You!†I believe God is faithful and worthy of my trust. I believe He will answer this prayer.
John said that grace and truth comes through Jesus (John 1:17). It is in those times when I do not feel any grace that I simply turned to Jesus, my friend that I know and trust, and open myself to receive His promised gifts with an open heart. And it comes. I feel the peace cover me and truth clean out the “junkâ€, the lies. And here comes the grace, that unconditional love that can only come through Jesus.
It is my flesh that tries to get the upperhand in my life. Too often I hear people say, “Satan is attacking me!†I think I give him too much credit! And I do not take enough credit for my own actions. Can you think of a situation where you do not have a choice on how you react? I can’t. I always have a choice. It is my own emotions; my own ‘issues’ that direct me down a path that is opposite of the path that Jesus wants to lead me in.
There is no shortcut or quick fix that teaches me to make good choices. Beginning my day with Jesus, talking to Him throughout the day, and ending my day with Him is the life that is characterized with His gifts of love and mercy. Jesus wants to much to give me all the grace (love) and mercy (forgiveness) that I need. But He is polite. He will wait to be asked to be a part of my life.
For the word of God is alive and powerful. It is sharper than the sharpest two-edged sword, cutting between soul and spirit, between joint and marrow. It exposes our innermost thoughts and desires. Nothing in all creation is hidden from God. Everything is naked and exposed before his eyes, and he is the one to whom we are accountable.
So then, since we have a great High Priest who has entered heaven, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to what we believe. This High Priest of ours understands our weaknesses, for he faced all of the same testings we do, yet he did not sin. So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive his mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it most.        Hebrews 4:12-16 (NLT, my emphasis)
