How does God's grace look on you? Read on as Amy Seiffert holds a mirror up for us all to see.
Elisa
Grace Looks Amazing on You in the Most Unamazing Ways
By Amy Seiffert
I am a recovering hothead. I was gifted with a short fuse. It has been passed on from generation to generation in my family, and here I am. I have to do hard work to stay in control, to not hurt my children or husband with my words by saying things I don't mean. And when I say something I shouldn't, I need to repair the brokenness. I don't feel amazing with this sinful nature pulsing through my veins. I don't look amazing when I lose my temper.
It is God's grace that enables me to cool down in the moment I want to flip a lid. It's his grace that leads me to humbly apologize when I do. It's his grace that causes me to better understand that the shame I feel stunts my growth, while his grace is the soil that grows my soul.
Praise God for his amazing grace. His grace actually does look amazing on us!
I'm not sure many women would use the word amazing to describe themselves. It's just not the natural go-to. Moody. Stressed. Overwhelmed. These words slip over our heads and slide onto us far more easily.
Not amazing.
Which is why the idea of grace looking amazing on us is so refreshing to me. The beauty of grace from God is that it is not in any way, shape, or form about us. It's about him. He is the one who decided to lavish us with the richness of his kindness, mercy, forgiveness, hope, and redemption. Grace is his idea, and he has it for us to wear for every season. It never goes out of style.
God told the apostle Paul that his grace was enough for everything in our lives, particularly in our weakest, most unamazing places. God says, "My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness" (2 Corinthians 12:9, NLT). Think about that. God's power works best in our weakness. It doesn't say God's power works best in our strength. But so often, as a recovering perfectionist, I really wish it did.
Friend, for every single ugly and unbecoming thing in your life, there is grace. That jealousy you have against a coworker who just got the promotion you wanted? There's grace for that. The fight you had with your spouse that left an ugly residue for days? There's grace for that. The fear you have about being alone the rest of your life? You name it, and there's grace for it.
Romans 5:2 says that "Christ has brought us into this place of undeserved privilege" (NLT). That means grace is just an open hand away. We can ask God to be free of envy and then, by his grace and power, practice celebrating our coworker. We can ask God to repair the broken part of our marriage and then, by his grace and power, take a step toward healing. We can ask God to wrap our hearts with his perfect love in the face of our fear of loneliness, and by his grace and power, rest in his love. Whatever it is, he has grace for our most unamazing thoughts and actions.
So you may be asking, is grace a magic wand that makes everything all better? I wish. But that's not the promise of grace. The promise is that his grace can be enough for us if we choose to acknowledge and accept it for ourselves.
Amy Seiffert is an author, writer, and teacher. She is the author of the recently released, Grace Looks Amazing on You. She currently is on the teaching team at Brookside Church, where she also directs community groups and team cohesion. She has also been an affiliate Cru staff member for more than eighteen years. Weaving biblical wisdom through her presentations, Amy inspires, teaches, and humbly invites any willing spiritual pilgrim to walk alongside her in the pursuit of truth and the knowledge of God. Amy is married to Rob, and they live in Bowling Green, Ohio, with their three kids. Connect with her at amyseiffert.com.