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I apologize for my long absense from posting here.
As I was thinking about grace, being a woman of grace, 2 Scriptures come to mind.
Grace is a work in process, it grows in us, and as we grow in Christ, as our walk with the LORD becomes more faithful and stronger, as we separate ourselves from the world in our daily life we grow in grace.
Trials, triblulations, hardships, disappointments and the like stretch our faith, and somehow is makes grace grow as well. Like physical exercise strenghthens our muscles of flesh, so to does spiritual testing makes our grace grow.
Grace is a little like patience. You really don't know how much of it you have until it is tested.
Gracious is .....Characterized by kindness and warm, unaffected courtesy: affable, hospitable. See kind Characterized by elaborate but usually formal courtesy: chivalrous, courtly, gallant, knightly, stately. See attitude, courtesy
Have you ever met a Christian lady who had this aire of peace and grace about her that defies explanation? Something about her draws you to her, you want to honor her. You would climb the hightest mountain, or swim miles just to hear her, or sit in her presence, because it is as if grace and peace have come to sit on earth and you don't want to miss it. You want to bask in it near her.
And you want to honor her. What do you think it means to honor someone? Haman, in Esther's day had his idea. He wanted honor but the honor was for another. Perhaps the best way to honor someone is to consider how you would want to be treated, what would you want done for you or to you, how do you want to be remembered, and then do that for another person.
Unfortunately we live in a time where grace is seen as weakness or unnecessary.
To help us gain a better understanding of grace, lets looks at what it is not. Lacking dexterity and grace in physical movement: awkward, clumsy, gawky, inept, lumpish, maladroit, ungainly, ungraceful.
The opposite of gracious is UNgracious--Lacking good manners: discourteous, disrespectful, ill-bred, ill-mannered, impolite, rude, uncivil, unmannerly, unpolished.
A quick reading of what grace is NOT and what UNgracious means or is like, is shocking enough and should cause any Woman who seeks to live a Godly life, and strive for, pray for God to give her the GRACE she needs to be a GRACIOUS woman for God's glory.
Dear Sister, I urge you to take the time and look up the words above. Websters 1828 is a good reference due to it being written during a time when the true meaning of words were not modernized. Copy and paste this link into your browser and it will take you to a searchable dictionary online. http://65.66.134.201/cgi-bin/webster/webster.exe
Please do not be discouraged if you fall short of what you want to be. All of us are far from where we want to be, or should be.
Like a seed planted in the earth, the seeds of GRACE, take time to germinate, and sprout, and then the growing process begins in earnest. Seasons of life, trials, blessings, difficulties and smooth travel will all effect the speed at which grace grows in us. We cannot grow in grace apart from Jesus Christ. Like a plant is affected by cold, and heat, drought and flood, the seed of grace in us are also affected. Don't measure grace by your standard, measure it next to God's Word. Look at not only where you want to go, but don't forget to look back and see how far you've come. Sometimes the road ahead looks long and hard, but the territory that has already been covered is rougher and harder. The LORD doesn't let us travel alone, His Comforter is with us to guide and assist. We have His Holy Word as a Light for the way. |
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Posted by Anonymous