Are you frustrating the grace of God?

God gave me the phrase "Frustrating the grace of God" earlier this year. That phrase came back to me today, so I decided to look up the meaning of frustrate. Frustrate means prevent (a plan or attempted action) from progressing, succeeding, or being fulfilled.

Everything makes sense. Frustrate means to prevent a plan from progressing, succeeding, or being fulfilled. I was telling my mom I didn't know if she had noticed but I'd gotten my joy back in an area of my life when I STOPPED trying to control everything. I was frustrating the grace of God in my life....AGAIN and didn't even realize it!

I couldn't let God do His job because I was too busy trying to do it. I was getting overwhelmed and frustrated trying to fix things and fill in holes I had no business messing with.

Have you done that? Scratch that. We all have. Have you done it recently? Are you tired, overwhelmed and angry about a situation that is beyond your control? Here's some advice. STOP. Stop trying to fix things. You can only do so much. Let God handle it!

God sees everything. He sees you doing more and more, yet it doesn't seem to make a difference. He wants to help. It's what He does best. He can't help you out of your situation unless you let Him. God's grace is readily available. Don't prevent progress or success by getting in God's way.

All of your efforts will leave you tired and defeated. You've tried it your way and it hasn't worked. Let God's grace cover you and your troubles.

Grace for the Moment

Image Credit: Time © Marek Bernat via freeimages.com

There’s a song that says, “He gives us grace for the moment,” and I firmly believe that is true.

So many times, we want grace to cover us at all times. And it is. It is always there helping us when we least expect it. It is not in one big lump, though.

Grace is found in the little moments. Grace finds us when we are weakest. Grace is there when we are lonely.

God gives us grace for the moment because he knows we are human. He knows our minds are frantically trying to figure out the next step…or what tomorrow holds.

He has been reminding me to let go and just be held in His grace. He wants me to just breathe and embrace His grace for the moment, not tomorrow. 

I encourage you to rest in His grace today. He says in 2 Corinthians 12:9, “My grace is sufficient.” That means it is MORE than enough. Remember that!

He will be there for you moment by moment if you will let Him do what He does best – hold you and everything dear to you in the palm of His hand.

Be the Miracle

Be the miracle when it’s uncomfortable. In fact, miracles happen in uncomfortable places. They don’t happen when everything is rosy. They happen when things are the hardest when you are pushed to your breaking point.

 Being the miracle for someone else will cost you your life. What does being a miracle look like? Laying your life down. Giving when it hurts. Showing up even though nothing seems right. 

What does it take to get a miracle? Faith and trust. 

Same for BEING one! Be means to prevail or endure. It means staying in the fight no matter how many rounds it takes. To be the miracle for someone else means to show the person what’s possible when you choose to not give up. You may get knocked down, be bruised and bloody, but you are still standing. You are still breathing.

You are a miracle because you refused to take no for an answer. You looked at the wall before you and found a way to climb it. Then, you helped others find their way over the wall, too. 

That’s what being a miracle looks like! I’m not going to wait for a miracle. I’m going to realize I AM a miracle in the midst of the mess! I encourage you to do the same.