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

What then? Should we sin because we are not under law but under grace? By no means! Do you not know that if you present yourselves to anyone as obedient slaves, you are slaves of the one whom you obey, either of sin, which leads to death, or of obedience, which leads to righteousness?

Romans 6:15–16

Think

God’s grace frees us to be who we were made to be and it prepares us to do the things that only we can do. Through the extension of grace (God’s forgiving presence which will not let us go), we are able to let go of those things that the world says are important and clutch what is life-giving.

Until we accept the grace God offers, we run the risk of thinking that we can be in total control. We forget that we are chained to the desires of our hearts. When those desires are corrupted, we are corrupt. But when those desires are obedient to God’s mission, we are moved toward the life God has envisioned for us.

David Schaefers

Pray

Holy keeper of our hearts, free me to serve you with all my being. Bring me into your service, so that I no longer see where my efforts end or where your ministry begins. Bind me to life, that I may be free—eternally. 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.