Grace Sufficient for Me

This week I have been studying God's grace. I've heard it a dozen times.. "It is by grace you have been saved. It is not of yourself. It is a gift from God." I know in my head that grace comes free. I know in my head that nothing I do can earn grace or take it away. I know in my head that God wants me to live in His grace. Yet, often my heart doesn't understand these things. I live my life feeling the need to continually show God that I am worthy of this gift. I try so hard to do and say the right thing, worrying that I'll screw things up that I miss it. I miss the gift. I live shackled to my sin and I'm so comfortable in that place that at times I can't even allow God to set me free.

And, then when I do allow God's grace to fill me it still doesn't feel like enough. Why? I honestly don't know. Is it because bad stuff happens? Is it because problems still occur? Is it because my poor self-image is still so present? Is it because God doesn't answer my prayers the way I want him to? Is it because my faith is not big enough? Maybe, maybe not. Or, maybe it's a little of all those things put together.

Can anyone relate to what I'm saying?....

Jesus paid the debt. Jesus took my place. Jesus set me free. Jesus wants me to accept his grace. Of these truths I am sure. It's learning to live like I really believe it that's the hard part. It's learning to be content in Christ no matter what doubts I have or what life may throw my way.

A quote by Max Lucado got me thinking about this idea of being content in God's grace,

"What if God's only gift to you were his grace to save you? Would you be content? You beg him to (fill in the blank)...What if his answer is, My grace is enough. Would you be content? You see, from heaven's perspective, grace is enough. If God did nothing more than save us from hell, could anyone complain? If God saved our souls and then left us to spend our lives leprosy-struck on a deserted island, would he be unjust? Having been given eternal life, dare we grumble at an aching body? Having been given heavenly riches, dare we bemoan earthly poverty?....When we are hurting, it doesn't matter how much we know about doctrine or theology. What we really need to know is Jesus. To walk with him. To talk with him. Crawl into his lap and let him hold us for awhile. Perhaps we'll never say Jesus is all I need, until he is all that we have. At that moment, he will prove to be all we need and more."

Hmmm....makes me wanna learn to be content. Thank you God for being enough!!!!!