Graceful

Someone in class asked tonight, "Can we really give people the gift of grace? Isn't that only a gift that God can give?"

In the comment's section yesterday, Bob said, "In fact by definition I don't think we can really do more than reflect God's grace. "

So what is the answer to the question? Can we give the gift of grace to other people?

Jesus is the way in which we learn what God is like. To learn about God, look at Jesus. What is surprising to me is that we are how people today learn about God. Dwight L. Moody said, "Of one hundred men, one will read the Bible; the ninety nine will read the Chistian.

If grace is unconditional, unmerited love, then the source has to be God. We are not capable of achieving this kind of love. We need God in order to offer grace. But how do we receive it? Everyday, we receive grace from other people. A friend gave me a birthday present this evening. It was a bookmark which says, "There are two ways of spreading light; to be the candle or the mirror that reflects it." (Edith Wharton). She then told me that I am both -- a candle and a mirror. I share that because what she gave me is not only a bookmark; she gave me grace.

We do reflect grace. We are mirrors. But I do believe that God gives us grace in order for us to share it. We won't get it completely right. We won't love as he loves. We will however be able to love other people.

God has no hands but ours. We are the means by which God shares his grace with his children. We are in partnership with God -- he has intended for it to be that way. We are to share God's love with his children. It is our purpose -- love God and love each other.