Recently, a friend, did something that completely offended me.
Her sin was so apparent.
What offended me even more was how she seemed to embrace it and promote it.
I took it personally. I started critiquing her in my mind, putting her down in my head and getting annoyed with her in my heart.
You can’t do that and call yourself a Christian.
You can’t defend that and feel good about yourself.
You can’t speak this way and lead others down the same wrong roads.
But as the Lord yielded his sword of truth, I realized that I needed to yield to him. “For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.” (Mt. 7:2)
How often do I sit on the judgement seat,
when the judgement seat is only reserved for One?
How often do I expect a grace-filled responses,
when I hand out condemning ones?
How often am I the master critiquer
instead of the master unduer of another’s underlying shame?
In a way, we want God’s grace, but we want it all for us.
We want it, but can’t extend it,
we walk by it, but don’t walk others to it.
not when it affects us
not when it hurts
not when others offended
then we have nothing to give.
It’s almost like we are a toddler demanding it all for ourselves. We forgot how to share. We forgot that God didn’t extend grace so we could say, “Mine. Mine. Mine.”
In all things I have shown you that by working hard in this way we must help the weak and remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he himself said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive. (Acts 20:35)
Aren’t we really the same as the one we blame?
Truth is,
we offended,
we rejected,
we tormented,
we shamed,
we nailed,
every nail
on that cross
but somehow we expect it all in return
for the price paid at the cross
and sometimes we forget others do too,
don’t we?
We cling to every morsel of his forgiveness and our unmerited worthiness, yet we keep others tied down in the place of unworthy and unforgiven.
We “can’t believe what they did”, but we know “Jesus doesn’t condemn what we did.”
We say,
“Speak meanly – you better say you are sorry.”
“Hurt me – you will pay”
“Do something wrong – figure it out on your own.”
“Really offend me – you won’t be my friend anymore.”
How often do we think of the act of extending grace verses obtaining it?
How often do we center our heart around giving verses taking?
God’s heart is always found in giving.
Giving a life.
Giving love.
Pouring out grace.
It is here where we find true authentic heart felt love. It is here where lives are changed, where people are moved and where walls come down.
It’s not in the empty demands for love and for change. There, the life of grace loses it’s power.
All this is for your benefit, so that the grace that is reaching more and more people may cause thanksgiving to overflow to the glory of God. (2 Cor. 4:15)
Extending grace, makes the glory of God overflow. I want that to happen, don’t you? I want to celebrate thankfulness with another as we see the power of grace flow through, don’t you?
Are we seeking to be a grace-getter or a grace-giver?
Do we sit on the judgment seat with Jesus or do you aim to sit on the mercy seat with him?
Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you. (Luke 6:38)
The more we give, the more we get.
And, I wonder, would we better comprehend the grace of God,
if we weren’t always trying to extend the wrath of God?
Perhaps, then, we would receive it because we believe it.
God is the greatest giver. He stands ready to dump blessing after blessing, mercy after mercy, and love after love in our lap, if we will only let him. The more we measure out – the more he measures in. Let’s give in abundance, from the free-flowing love that is always being poured into us by the sacrifice of Jesus Christ on the cross.
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Today, I’m having Coffee For Your Heart with my friend Holley Gerth and joining Meredith Bernard for Woman to Woman Wednesday.
I’m your neighbor at #Woman2Woman today! 🙂 You are right on with these words, Kelly. We want to receive grace, but giving it is a lot harder!!! I never thought of applying “the more you sow, the more you’ll reap” principle to giving. You have so many good things to say in this post, girl! You overflow with God’s word! Blessings on your day.
Thank you Betsy! God is pressing in to me that I am often a taker and so much so not a grace giver. This is ugly stuff inside. Praise God that he is full of grace – even for the grace-less. I love you dear sister. May God bless you today.
Visiting from Coffee For Your Heart – Beautiful words this morning, Kelly. It seems everywhere I turn, God is reminding me to die to self, to extend His grace, to live not offended. Thank you for speaking into my heart this morning, my friend. : )
Thank you Crystal. Yes, he so badly wants us to die because then we live according to his will and his ways. He calls us there… Let’s go Crystal, let’s go!
Hi Kelly,
I so love your encouragement on Twitter, by the way! I like your thoughts on extending grace — particularly because I sometimes find this hard to do when my feelings are hurt! But you’re right about the more we give, the more we receive in return. Love these encouraging thoughts today! 🙂
Thank you. I am glad you like the encouragement. It makes so much of a difference to me and I hope – to others. Thank you for reading this with me today. I am humbled and grateful for your words Valerie.
Beautiful words as always, Kelly, and I keep forgetting to tell you that you have the most awesome graphics!!!!
Thank you Kim. I am glad you like the graphics! Yippee! Thank you for all your words of love to me.
“Fire the judge.” That’s what I tell myself when I’m judging others or I’m judging myself too harshly. I think when I can fire the judge I’ll be more able to recieve God’s love. Thank you for your words of encouragement today!
Jenni
I love this. That is such a cute and unique saying to say to yourself. I need to do this. Thanks Jenni, you are full of wisdom.
Well, I caught myself doing this the other day… then turned around and required grace from someone else, which they gave in abundance, without second thought… Lord, how that gripped me. Immediately I had to ask God to correct my graceless, judgement filled heart.
It wasn’t pretty.
So glad to know I’m not alone in this, that we’re all still being worked on by true Grace 😉
Super grateful for your words, Kelly, super grateful.
Your random neighbour from #Woman2Woman 🙂 Much love.
Christine, I love that you joined me here today from #Woman2Woman; what a blessing this is I pray that we can extend grace faster than we can blink an eye. Imagine that. HA!
Kelly, love this post, I so agree with you, especially this quote, “Let’s give in abundance, from the free-flowing love that is always being poured into us by the sacrifice of Jesus Christ on the cross.”
I am SO super glad Beth! Praise God for his goodness. We have so much to give when it comes from him. I am humbled and blessed by your words to me today. Thank you.
Judging others is something that the Lord and I have had to do a lot of work on. Until a few years ago, I never thought of my attitudes toward others as judging, but it was. I learned it from my parents, but it was never called judging. God convicted me of it, and He and I have worked to get rid of that sin. It is deadly to relationships…earthly relationships, and my relationship with Jesus. Thanks for a practical post, Kelly.
Amen Leah, you are so right about relationships being damaged. I didn’t even consider that point in it’s entirety. Thank you for your words; you always get me thinking.
Wow, Kelly. You were right. We really were on the same page and God certainly had a message he wanted to deliver. Amen, sister. I don’t want the responsibility of judgement. Christ can handle its weight but I certainly can’t. Thank you for this reminder today. Beautiful, my friend. Cheering you on today.
Thank you Abby. I love how God works like this. He is so faithful to teach us just the right thing. Thanks for your cheer today. It means a lot.
Oh, how often I’ve been here…”In a way, we want God’s grace, but we want it all for us.” More than I would care to admit. It’s so easy to accept grace and all too often, so hard to give it. I’m sure you are correct…the less wrath I poured out, the more of grace I could truly comprehend. Thank you for sharing so openly! Love your heart. <3
I’ve sat on the judgment seat far too often–more often than offering grace. Thank you, Kelly, for this convicting and encouraging message. One I need to hear over and over. Love to you!
Yes Sabra, I understand, it can be an easy chair to sit on. It makes us feel a little taller until we fall. 🙂 Much love to you.