Upgrade My Life with Grace

At Christmastime, we are reminded of God's incredible grace to us in sending His Son, Jesus. Kathy Carlton Willis reminds us to extend that grace in this Christmas UPGRADE.

"God’s grace isn’t merely for the pre-believer to come to faith in Christ," Kathy says. "It is for every day of every soul’s life."

Ever heard the phrase, "give her some grace"? I (Dawn) have, and it usually means someone is doing something wrong and I need to be more patient. But Kathy is using the words "give them grace" in an entirely different way.

Kathy continues . . .

As we enter this holy season, let’s look at this very special Christmas gift—grace.

I remember the Christmas I grew up. Under the tree I found a box smaller than a breadbox that weighed more than the bowling ball I tried to throw down the lane during our Girl Scout outing. What could it possibly be? The tag said the gift was from my brother and parents. Normally sibling gifts were purchased with our meager allowance, so I didn’t expect much.

Finally, Christmas Day came. As I ripped away the paper, first I saw a yellow cardboard box. It housed an entire paperback set of books by Laura Ingalls Wilder—Little House on the Prairie. For me? My very own library? One book would be a treat—but an entire set of books? Pure joy!

I was lavished with an amazing gift of great cost, which brought me great pleasure. This was the year I grew up. Books were my favorite gifts that year, not toys or dolls or games. And I think the reason why the experience matured me was not just because of what I received, but because of the way it impacted me.

This was an extravagant present—a generous gift.

My special gift made me realize how to receive love and to lavish love on others. This is grace extended. And isn’t that what the birth of Christ delivered to us all?

As we learn from the gift of His life, how can we give grace away? Give with Grace!

I have a confession to make.

Sometimes I say, “I’m at your service,” and I’m really not. I set out wanting to serve—but I want to do it my way. I have terms to the grace I offer others. If I volunteer hours, it has to be when I say it can be. If I offer to listen, it needs to fit around my schedule.

I realize as I write this, I’m not much of a servant at all. Sure sounds to me like I’m pretty bossy!

It’s human nature to want to be in control. If you’ve ever been on top of a horse who suddenly decides to go his own way, at his own pace, and make his own trail (where there isn’t one), then you know how it feels to not be in control. None of us like that feeling very much. So we hold tightly to the reins.

Part of acting in grace to others is not having to be in control—letting God lead us.

One example we can learn from is Mary, the earthly mother of Jesus. Mary was a godly young woman, open to receiving an assignment from God. Although many of us are older than Mary would have been, we aren’t that much different as we receive our assignments from God.

Let’s see how God used her.

Gabriel appeared to her and said, “Greetings, favored woman! The Lord is with you!” Confused and disturbed, Mary tried to think what the angel could mean. “Don’t be afraid, Mary,” the angel told her, “for you have found favor with God! You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you will name him Jesus. He will be very great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his ancestor David. And he will reign over Israel forever; his Kingdom will never end!”

Mary asked the angel, “But how can this happen? I am a virgin.”

The angel replied, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the baby to be born will be holy, and he will be called the Son of God. What’s more, your relative Elizabeth has become pregnant in her old age! People used to say she was barren, but she has conceived a son and is now in her sixth month. For nothing is impossible with God.”

Mary responded, “I am the Lord’s servant. May everything you have said about me come true.” And then the angel left her. (Luke 1:28-38 NLT)

God used Mary as an instrument of His grace, and He wants to use us today. Let’s look at several Give with Grace principles:

1. We have been gifted by His grace and God wants to use this grace in us for His purposes. The angel told Mary that she was the object of God’s favor. This is another term for grace—the grace of being chosen for His use.
2. God doesn’t look for experts, He looks for people who are willing to be used. Mary didn’t negotiate terms or offer up excuses. She was available for duty.
3. God is standing by to equip us when we are flexible with how the story ends. Mary was compliant with the angel’s message. She listened and didn’t make demands for more proof when she received the details.
4. God’s grace makes our weakness enough when paired with His power. Even though Mary was a virgin, that was not an obstacle for her to be pregnant with God’s Son. There will never be another Mary, and there will never be another you, which makes it even more important to listen for God’s custom-fit instructions for your life.
5. God gets the glory when we yield to receive and distribute His grace. We may not understand exactly why He selected Mary, but His reasons were perfect. We may not understand why He wants to use us, but it pleases Him to use us as ministers of His grace.

God has lavished His grace upon us. Will you extend that grace to others, especially during this Christmas season?

Kathy Carlton Willis writes and speaks with a balance of funny and faith—whimsy and wisdom. She shines the light on issues that hold women back and inspires their own lightbulb moments. Almost a thousand of Kathy’s articles have been published and she has several books releasing over the next three years, including Grin with Grace with AMG Publishers (at amazon: amzn.to/1wg6Nmh). She and her husband/pastor, Russ, live in Texas. Learn more at: www.kathycarltonwillis.com/

Note: Today’s article is an excerpt from the galley of Grin with Grace by Kathy Carlton Willis, AMG Publishers, 2015.