A Gracious Heart

As I think about how I work with people, sometimes I get frustrated & impatient inside. The stresses of life can make me overwhelmed and it can be hard to have the right heart attitude when speaking with others. But God is full of grace towards me.

2 Timothy 1:9 “For God saved us and called us to live a holy life. He did this, not because we deserved it, but because that was His plan from before the beginning of time—to show us His grace through Christ Jesus.”

As a parent, there are days when my kids don’t work so well together. This can make my heart jump into “fix it quick mode”, which basically means speak loud or yell to get the wanted response. After I mess up, my heart tells me and I am reminded of all that God is doing to be patient with me.

Romans 6:1-4 “Well then, should we keep on sinning so that God can show us more and more of His wonderful grace? Of course not! Since we have died to sin, how can we continue to live in it? Or have you forgotten that when we were joined with Christ Jesus in baptism, we joined Him in His death? For we died and were buried with Christ by baptism. And just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glorious power of the Father, now we also may live new lives.”

God is working at transforming us through people and circumstances. Satan wants hardship to make us cave in to despair or sin. God wants trials to help us grow as followers in Christ.

Lamentations 3:22-24 “The faithful love of the LORD never ends! His mercies never cease. Great is His faithfulness; His mercies begin afresh each morning. I say to myself, "The LORD is my inheritance; therefore, I will hope in Him!"

Sometimes just taking a break, a deep breath, or a time out to think can help. Other times just remembering how blessed we are to be forgiven daily can help us be more gracious at heart. God might not have the same plans or timing in mind that we do. So our job is to surrender to the Lord’s plans, just as Christ did. I want to be thankful for all of God’s gifts, as I strive to be slow to anger, gentle in spirit and filled with the compassion that I receive.

Hebrews 4:15-16 “This High Priest of ours understands our weaknesses, for He faced all of the same testings we do, yet He did not sin. So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive His mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it most.”

Psalms 116:5 “The LORD is gracious and righteous; our God is full of compassion.”

Ephesians 4:2 "Always be humble and gentle. Be patient with each other, making allowance for each other's faults because of your love."

Having a gracious heart means being kind even when its not deserved, just as we receive unmerited favor through Christ.