Growing In Grace
Love is a practice
From Ian Simpkins, during this Lenten season:
“We never graduate from grace—but we do grow in it.
And part of that growth means realizing that grace is not just something we get, it’s something we give.
Paul writes, ‘Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly… And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus’ (Col. 3:16–17). That same passage calls us to ‘bear with each other and forgive one another… as the Lord forgave you.’ In other words, if grace has come to you, it must also move through you.
Immaturity demands grace but withholds it.
Maturity receives grace with open hands—and keeps them open.
We’re often eager to be understood, but slow to understand. Quick to expect patience, but slow to show it. We long to be seen, forgiven, celebrated, and embraced—but easily forget that the people around us long for the same.
To mature in grace is to let the Spirit shape us into people who don’t just enjoy mercy, but embody it. Not just people who speak about love, but who practice it. Not just those who memorize Scripture, but those who are mastered by it.
This is why spiritual growth isn’t primarily about accumulating knowledge or increasing activity. It’s about becoming more like Jesus.
And what is Jesus like?
He is grace and truth embodied (John 1:14).
He does not break bruised reeds or snuff out smoldering wicks (Matt. 12:20).
He forgives His executioners and restores His betrayers.
He washes dirty feet and welcomes shame-ridden outcasts.
He weeps with the grieving and dines with sinners.
He does not treat us as our sins deserve (Psalm 103:10).
And when we were still sinners, He died for us (Romans 5:8).
Grace is not just a safety net when we fall short.
It’s the scaffolding on which we build our lives.
So don’t just be amazed by grace.
Be a messenger of it.
Be a conduit of it.
Be responsible for it.
Let the grace you’ve received from Jesus shape the way you speak, serve, listen, post, forgive, and love.“
#journalingalife