Everyday Grace

“Remind the people to be subject to rulers and authorities, to be obedient, to be ready to do whatever is good, to slander no one, to be peaceable and considerate, and to show true humility toward all men.”
Titus 3:1-2

It had been one of those extra grace required kind of weeks. School was back in, we crossing guards were back on duty and my intersection with its four stops signs and one lane of traffic in each direction had turned into two lanes of traffic in each direction with everyone thinking they should go at the same time and a kink in my neck wasn’t helping. Horns honk, tempers flare and I stand on the corner shaking my head. Luckily we are told in scripture that His mercy is new everyday and in my opinion He tops off our grace tank as well.

Among the Apostle Paul’s shorter letters is this one to Titus, in our modern bibles a book with three short chapters. In the first chapter Paul gives his usual sort of greeting and reminds Titus of what his pastoral duties on Crete are and encourages him to carry them out well. In chapter two Paul provides some instruction to Titus about what he should be teaching to the various groups in the church and lets him know that the older men and women should be teaching the younger men and women how to live life well. When we get to chapter three it seems to be addressed to the group in general as Paul encourages Titus to remind the people how as followers of Christ they should be living. Given the era, some of that stuff was probably pretty hard to do. Paul reminds them that he and his companions had once lived a different way, a way contrary to where Jesus leads. But that being good is possible because “when the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy… so that having been justified by his grace, we might become heirs having the hope of eternal life… so that those who have trusted in God may be careful to devote themselves to doing what is good” (Titus 3:4, 7 & 8).

Pastor Tullian Tchividjian of Coral Ridge Presbyterian church says “Gospel grace empowers us to take risks, allowing us to do for others without expecting anything in return because we have already been given everything we need in Christ. But what does everyday grace look like? Do you know the power of simple smile, the healing ability of a hug, the potentially life changing effect sacrificing your place in line might have on the person who took your place? Everyday grace can at times take on the simplest forms and be the tiniest acts of kindness and at other times its form is huge and risky, maybe even dangerous. But it doesn’t matter, we have been given an eternal supply of grace and we have been empowered to share with those around us. 

This week what will grace look like in your life? This week how will you share that grace with the world around you?

A Prayer
Father - thank you for soaking daily in your grace. Thank you for reminding us that we can do good because we know who we are in Christ. Grant us eyes and hearts to see where Your grace needs to be shared. Let us praise you when we see your grace at work in our lives and the lives of those around us. In the name Jesus, in whom we find grace and our true identities we pray - Amen.