Most of the pain in our lives comes from the actions of others wounding us, and our own wrong choices compound the pain. To heal, we must learn the difference between the two.But it’s not enough to stop there. We must take the next step and accept what these wrong actions have done to our lives. And I believe the only way to accept this difficult truth is by applying grace. We must accept God’s grace in our own lives and extend that grace to others.
If we were perfect people with perfect relationships, we wouldn’t need grace. Truth wouldn’t be difficult to accept, for it wouldn’t contain the wreckage of troubled lives. In a flawed world, however, to accept ourselves and others, grace is imperative.
God’s Grace
I’ve heard grace defined as “unmerited favor.” If you don’t have to do anything to earn it, then you can receive it without paying for it. You receive something you did not earn or deserve. Often, we think something free doesn’t have much value. But in this case, the gift of grace extended to us from God is extremely valuable. The apostle Paul said, “For you know the generous act of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, so that by his poverty you might become rich” (2 Corinthians 8:9 NRSV).
Like love and forgiveness, the concept of grace goes against our very nature. Grace is freely given, it cannot be earned, and it is extended to those who don’t deserve it. Although grace is hard to understand, God means for us to have it and experience it.
When we are staring at a huge problem or trauma blocking our path, God’s grace is the powerful force that pushes the obstacle out of the way. We aren’t powerful enough to do it, but God is. An acceptance of God’s grace allows us to put the past behind us.
But grace is much more than just erasing the past; it is about writing the future. That’s because when we are freed from the thicket of regret, blame, and shame, we can show grace to others in every situation. It’s the ultimate form of “paying it forward.” Only Jesus has already paid our tab.
The Trust Process
Is God asking us to “act” perfect, as if our wounds never happened? Certainly not. It’s about inviting him into the wound. As the Great Physician, he wants to apply his healing to your heart and mind. It is a process; sometimes it is instantaneous, and other times the healing takes much longer.
Spiritual acceptance is a trust process. When you do surrender your past, and give God your wounds, he will be faithful to join you in the journey of restoration. Along the way, his love will begin to replace the pain in your heart. So much so that you will have an excess, and that extra love will spill out of your life and into the lives of others.
Dr. Gregory Jantz is the founder of The Center • A Place of HOPE in Edmonds, Washington, voted a Top Ten Center For Depression Treatment in the United States. Dr. Jantz pioneered Whole Person Care in the 1980’s and is a world-renowned expert on eating disorders, depression, anxiety, technology addiction, and abuse. He is a leading voice and innovator in Mental Health utilizing a variety of therapies including nutrition, sleep therapy, spiritual counseling, and advanced DBT techniques. Dr. Jantz is a best-selling author of 40 books and has appeared on CBS, ABC, NBC, Fox, and CNN.
If you are struggling with depression, anxiety, trauma, PTSD, addiction, eating disorders, or other mental health challenges, call The Center at 888.771.5166 today.
FAQs
There can be only one proper response to grace: a life of grateful holiness. Christ's atoning death was “in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit” (Rom. 8:4).
What role did grace play in establishing our relationship with God? ›
Grace is the free and undeserved assistance God offers us so that we might respond to his call to share in his divine life and attain eternal life.
What does God's acceptance mean? ›
That acceptance means that we are received, we are welcomed, we are adopted and approved of and we are loved. Understanding this amazing love of God gives us confidence, peace and joy. God never looks at the outward appearance of man; He always looks at the heart. “
What does it mean to accept God's grace? ›
An acceptance of God's grace allows us to put the past behind us. But grace is much more than just erasing the past; it is about writing the future. That's because when we are freed from the thicket of regret, blame, and shame, we can show grace to others in every situation.
What does the grace of God teach us to do? ›
It teaches us to say “No” to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age. He has saved us and called us to a holy life — not because of anything we have done but because of his own purpose and grace.
What did God give us to respond to his grace? ›
But the logical response to God's grace is to offer yourself as a living sacrifice. Paul wrote in Romans 12:1, “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service.”
What does God's grace have the power to do? ›
The Bible Dictionary puts it this way: “The main idea of the word [grace] is divine means of help or strength. … Grace is an enabling power” (“Grace”). It enables the recipient to do and to be what he or she cannot do and cannot be if left to his or her own means. All of us need such an enabling power.
What is the difference between faith and grace? ›
Therefore, the good news is, grace has nothing to do with you. Grace existed before you ever came to be. Another way of saying it is, grace is God's part. Faith is defined as being a positive response to what God has already provided by grace.
What is the main purpose of God's grace? ›
Grace gives us a new life which is not condemned by God. Through God's grace we are forgiven, transforming our thinking, resulting in the renewal of our mind and heart. Through grace we live the kind of life that God would like every one of His children to experience.
What does God teach us about acceptance? ›
"...God invites us to accept the inescapable realities placed in front of us. We can either turn away from that acceptance of life and continue on our own, or we can plunge into the 'reality of the situation' and try to find God there in new ways. Obedience in this case means accepting reality."
The briefest definition of grace is “favor,” specifically “unmerited favor from God.” Put another way, it's receiving what we don't deserve.
What Scripture says about accepting Gods grace? ›
1 Corinthians 15:10 - But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace toward me was not in vain. On the contrary, I worked harder than any of them, though it was not I, but the grace of God that is with me. John 1:16 - For from his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace.
How do you explain God's grace? ›
God's grace is a free gift, often described with terms like “undeserved” or “unmerited favor.” He doesn't count peoples' successes and failures to determine who receives his love or life. Instead, from the kind intention of his will, God gives all goodness freely, and in the Bible he describes himself as gracious.
How am I accepted by God? ›
Christ has accepted you — not based on your performance, something that you earned, or something that you deserve. God simply says, “I chose you.” You may have accepted Jesus into your life, but have you ever realized that Christ has accepted you? You don't have to earn it; you don't have to prove yourself.
What kind of grace does God give us? ›
Bishop Will Willimon describes grace as "the power of God working in you to give you a transformed life." We experience three kinds of grace in our life with God — prevenient, justifying and sanctifying.
How to respond to God's grace as a Catholic? ›
Here are four ways to open your life to grace:
- Ask for what you need. In the prayer Jesus taught us, we ask for daily bread, forgiveness, and guidance on the way. ...
- Ask with an open mind. Be willing to let go of your own agenda and say yes to the grace God offers. ...
- Watch for the ways God responds.
- Pass it on!
Faith is defined as being a positive response to what God has already provided by grace. In other words, faith is your positive response to God's grace, or faith only appropriates what God has already provided for you. Therefore, faith is your part. Grace and faith work together, and they must be in balance.
How to appreciate the grace of God? ›
When you appreciate what God has done for you, there would be no need for anyone to drag you; service will become a joy. When you remember that you were lost until He found you, sacrifice will become a normal response. We must never forget that we are who we are by the grace of God.
What is the phrase for the grace of God? ›
If you are talking about someone who is in a bad situation and you say 'There but for the grace of God go I', you mean that you are lucky not to be in the same situation as them and you feel sympathy for them.
