Grace Through Others

I was amazed at the grace I received as I spent time with my extended family because my aunt was ending her 15 year battle with cancer and then last Wednesday went to be with the Lord. Having been raised as an only child in a single parent home my heart had longed for family because this is part of what I was created for. The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are a family. There is a dimension of the love of God and life of God that can only be experienced through family. I thoroughly enjoyed the joking, the camaraderie, and the sense of being a part of something bigger than me (family). I shared with my wife that something deep inside me (identity) grew and there was even a sense of greater authority. No one specifically laid hands on me or imparted to me, yet the grace that was on their life touched me. It is such a blessing that most all of my extended family have a relationship with the Lord. There are a couple of dimensions in operation here, first is the Kingdom of God functions through humility and not pride (see 1 Peter 5:5-6). Also Ephesians 5:21 says "and be subject to one another in the fear of Christ." The term "be subject" means to arrange under or subordinate. When we are willing to take a lower place (humility not self-condemnation) then we receive grace from a person's life to add to what we have already received. I found that I was so blessed by some of the gracious words people said to me and I was also able to speak words of grace that built up. Words of grace are ones that build another person up "in Christ", not seek to tear down or be dominate. This is part of why I believe the Orphan Heart is so destructive because then we don't place ourselves in place of humility or subjection but seek to be unaffected or rejected by others. If we are going to experience being built up to full maturity "in Christ" we need to understand how the Holy Spirit transfers grace through us to another person or through another person to me. So much of the New Covenant is addressed to a company of believers, whereas our culture thinks only individualistically. I pray as you honor the Spirit of God on another person's life you would receive a touch of His grace that you may experience more of Him and who you are in Him.

In His Love,
Bret