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Testimonies of Grace and Graciousness

Paul J. Bucknell

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Testimonies on Pursuing a Godly Life of Grace
  1. How has God's grace made you gracious?
  2. What are some practical steps you have taken to be more gracious?
  3. The story of God's grace in your life and review it each year.
Let's see how God has done this in the life of others.

 

How has God's grace made you gracious?

And Then There Was Grace

My life before I became a Christian is nothing to brag about. I didn't know of my sin until the Lord confronted me, but when He did, my rebellious heart was all too evident: lying, stealing, lusting, hating, griping, etc. The list could go on and on. It took me years to grasp a sufficient understanding of His wonderful love.

Before this, I just couldn't accept myself. I felt totally inadequate and my stuttering speech and lack of self-confidence showed it. One might think that discovering the truths of election and grace in Ephesians 1 would further depress me because of my unworthiness was all the more apparent. He chose me not because of the good I had or would do. I was already confident of that! Instead of building my confidence on what good I did or could do, I built it upon the ability of the Lord to desire and do a good work in my life. God's love became my life's foundation. Through Christ's sacrifice, I saw His great desire to help me. This would never change despite my many failures.

God wanted to work in me. He wanted me. He desired me. It was this desire for me and His work in me that completely reshaped my perspective of self and others. I began to obtain a perspective of myself that was secure in His love and depended on His work in my life. My personal experience on how God likes to work miracles in the lives of desperate people enabled me to start looking at desperate people as ones where God could intervene and help. If God could work in a lost sinner like me, surely He could work in others. Instead of looking down upon others, I began to see hope where others could not see it. Graciousness sprung up in my heart because of God's unending and abounding grace shown to me in Christ Jesus.


    What are some practical steps you have taken to be more gracious?

    Practical Steps in Being Gracious

    Remember God's grace to you. (This shapes your attitude).

    • Write down God's story of grace in your life. Include the details as much as possible.
    • Keep a box of mementos which remind you of God's special acts of grace in your life.
    • Have a special 'share time' each year when God's story of grace is repeated. Our family recently went through some slides of our family's history highlighting special times of His grace.
    • When teaching about God's grace, always teach how this relates to forming our gracious hearts.

Take special acts of graciousness. (This shapes your behavior bringing it in line with the scriptures).

  • Be kind always. No exceptions. My hardest battle was to be kind and loving in chastising my children. I must not do this in anger.
  • When wrong is done, apologize as soon as possible.
  • Do not allow rude remarks to be said by me or other family members. No name calling.
  • When tempted to take revenge, think of God's grace to me.
  • Each morning, remind myself that I can not do anything good apart from Him. I am totally dependent upon His grace. Follow this up with prayer for God's grace for what He has planned.
  • When facing things that we clearly are unequipped to do, boldly ask for God's grace. Ask God to do it with or without you.
  • Memorize passages like Ephesians 4:1-6. Go over these words at least once a day.
  • Remember that right now is the age of grace (Romans 5:21). Strive hard that grace may now abound now before this glorious opportunity is past.