The Power of Grace Will Change Your Life!
“By the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace to me was not without effect.”
1 Corinthians 15:10 (NIV)
How many New Year’s Resolutions have you already broken? Don’t feel alone! That’s why I am so grateful for GRACE! God’s grace to you and me is not without effect. That word means to cause to change. Your life change as a Christ follower is the result of an exchanged life! It’s not about will power, but His power. Listen to what the Amplified Bible says in Philippians 2:13, “[Not in your own strength] for it is God Who is all the while effectually at work in you [energizing and creating in you the power and desire], both to will and to work for His good pleasure and satisfaction and delight.” This is the power of grace! As with the Apostle Paul, grace gives us the power and desire to change! What else could have changed a man bent on “destroying the church,” like Paul. In Acts 8:3; the Bible says he went from “house to house (dragging) out the believers, both men and women and threw them into jail,” only to later become the greatest missionary and church planter of the New Testament? The encounter he had with Christ changed his life dramatically! What happened? In the next chapter of Acts, Paul met grace on a road to Damascus, where he was headed to imprison even more believers for following Christ. What effect did grace have in his life? The same effect it will have on yours and mine.
Grace exchanges our sin for God’s forgiveness; our pain for His promises; our brokenness for His wholeness; our emptiness for His fullness! When confronted with the truth about who Jesus was, shame and guilt could have overwhelmed Paul for all he had done to Christ’s followers. Yet, grace gave him hope and purpose. The man who entered that city was different from the one who left. Grace gives us the promise for real life change. Grace is God’s power and ability to change us into a new creation in Christ! There is no sin greater than God’s grace! Grace will enable you to accept yourself, and others, as Christ does. Embrace His grace today and notice the effect Christ’s life is having in you!
Thank you, Father, that my life in Christ is not about my ability to change myself into something that will please You or others. By grace, You accept me just as I am. You have become my life, and Your grace is changing my attitudes and actions. Help me today to extend that same grace to others in my family, at work or at school.
Another important part of your daily devotional is spending time with God in prayer. The Woodlands Church Prayer Board lists prayer requests submitted by our members and provides a way to send them some encouragement by using a button on the page to let them know that you prayed for them. Whether you use the Prayer Board, or pray from your heart, the goal is to build the habit of incorporating prayer into your quiet time.
Need prayer yourself? Let us know by submitting a prayer request on the Woodlands Church Prayer Board.