Responding To Failure

“…let us have grace, by which we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear.” Hebrews 12:28b

I’ve been thinking about grace lately. Why? Because again and again, I see the failures of not only myself, but others around me. How do I respond to the failure of others?

We all come to Holy God on the basis of the shed blood of Christ, the perfect, sinless Lamb of God, who alone was able to pay what was owed by each of us.

But what about the daily failures of us all? How can we look a person in the eye and truly love and accept them, when they have fallen so far from the Lord, or when they are obviously living in sin?

We ask God to put His grace in us. “The Lord will give grace and glory” (Psalm 84:11). Grace has been modeled and lived out for us by our Lord. He is our example of accepting someone when that person deserves rejection.

What does grace look like? According to Strong’s concordance, it is to act graciously or mercifully toward someone, to be compassionate, to be favorably inclined. Grace is when we see our own sin, and thus do not hold another person accountable for his sin. Grace is Jesus telling the men in the temple that they could throw a stone at the woman caught in adultery if, and only if, they were sinless themselves. Grace is Him then letting her go without any punishing words, thoughts, or actions.

How do we access this grace? It is of God; it is His gift. “God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work” (2 Corinthians 9:8 NIV). It is a ministry of the Holy Spirit, to give us the grace we need toward others. “And I will pour out…the Spirit of grace…” (Zechariah 12:10).

The principle of grace is this: What we lack, God’s grace provides. He knows our weakness and need, so He gives of Himself. When Paul sought the Lord to remove the thorn in his flesh, God’s specific answer was that His grace was sufficient for Paul. Paul thought he needed the thorn removed; God replied that all he really needed was God Himself.

Grace works what we can’t work because we are weak. Grace gives what we can’t give because of our poverty. Grace loves those we can’t love because we are of the flesh.

The next time you find yourself face-to-face with the failures in someone’s else’s life, ask God to fill you with His grace, that you may love, accept and forgive that person.

Jesus, with man this is impossible, but with You, all things are possible. No matter how much I am hurt or appalled by a person’s actions or words, would You help me to show grace by Your Spirit, and not the hostility of my flesh. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.