Just a little something about Grace

As a girl, doing my hair is quite a normal thing. More than once have I burned myself with a straightener or a curling iron. You know what? I still pick that thing up and keep using it. I'm sure you do too. Why though? It hurt me, so shouldn't I stop using it all together? (Sounds like crazy reasoning, right?) Well, we do the same thing to other people. When people hurt us, we shut down and shut them out. They hurt us, so we should just carry that grudge against them, right? *Loud Air Horn/ Buzzer noise* That's where we're all wrong! The easiest (and one of the worst) things in this world to do is hold something over somebody. Trust me, I'm guilty too.

You see though, God doesn't hold grudges. We would all be completely screwed if that were the case. I fail Him daily, and I'm sure I'm not the only one. Grace is given to us by God, even though we mess up constantly.

 "For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do." Ephesians 2:8-10 

(http://biblehub.com/niv/ephesians/2.htm)

Since we've been saved by this grace, can we not give grace to other people? Have you ever been incredibly mad at someone? OR incredibly hurt by somebody? I have. It's not fun at all. You know what I've never thought about until recently? (Thanks Camp Lone Star)  Jesus died for that person too. He died for me. He died for you. He died for the person who hurt you. Why should we not forgive those people/ that person who hurt/ made you angry? Yes, I know it's hard. Things like forgiving others don't come as fast as we'd like. One step at a time. Pray for those who hurt you. Pray for the people that make you angry. See what it does to your life. God created us in his image and to be like him. That includes forgiveness. No matter how deep the wound, God can work through you to forgive that other person. Whatever you're going through, you can do it. 

 "Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.  Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart." Hebrews 12:1-3

(https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Hebrews+12)