Ordinary Time

Pause

Nobody ever wants grace until they reach that point where they don’t just want it, they absolutely need it. Grace always comes undeserved and often unexpected. But when grace arrives, there really is nothing sweeter.

Welcoming God’s grace is an act of trust. Extending God’s grace is an act of mercy. They are two sides of the same coin. When the opportunity arrives to welcome grace, only a fool would pass it by.

Listen

Therefore, do not let sin exercise dominion in your mortal bodies, to make you obey their passions. No longer present your members to sin as instruments of wickedness, but present yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life, and present your members to God as instruments of righteousness. For sin will have no dominion over you, since you are not under law but under grace.

Romans 6:12–14

Think

Being an instrument of God’s grace is your calling, no matter who you are…no matter where you go. And you, as an instrument of God’s grace, are fearfully and wonderfully made.

But it is not the body that we should take pride in. The body is just temporary. The grace within you, however, is made for eternity.

Live into that grace!

David Schaefers

Pray

Equip me, loving God, for the journey ahead. Give my body what it needs for this day, but more importantly, give my spirit what it needs for eternity. Show me the life that has no bounds and rests, at peace, in you. Where your grace abounds in my life, help me to share it with others, so that I may serve you in all that I do. Amen.

Go

God knows we are not perfect! We are on a journey that has peaks and valleys, but the important thing isn’t the destination, it is our traveling partner. God extends grace to us, sometimes when we know we need it; sometimes when we don’t know. Welcoming the grace of God is the first step along the path to a new life.

God knows we learn from our mistakes. We grow wiser with each day and with each new experience. By the grace of God, we grow! Thank God for that and step out into uncharted adventures, where God’s grace abounds.