"Grace is God’s free and unmerited favor shown to guilty sinners who deserve only judgment. It is the love of God shown to the unlovely. It is God reaching downward to people who are in rebellion against Him."
--Jerry Bridges, "Transforming Grace"
Over the last month, I've been pulled over for two speeding tickets. Two.
The first time around, I was doing 45 MPH in a 30 MPH zone. The second time, I was doing 75 MPH in a 60 MPH zone. Obviously, I have a thing for going exactly 15 MPH over the speed limit. For both tickets, I explained to the officer that I was a.) new to the city and not familiar with speed zones b.) had a new car and didn't know it's speeding potential, and c.) had family in law enforcement. Good job, Heather.
Backing up a little bit... I also got a speeding ticket in March. The day before my 26th birthday. I had just gone out to dinner with two girlfriends, and although the dinner was a blast, I was already feeling a bit emotional about my husband being absent for my impending birthday (he was out-of-town for work training). While driving home from dinner, I randomly decided to take an exit that routed me to one of our old apartments. I was feeling sentimental and just wanted to see it. After visiting our old stomping grounds, I sat at the light waiting to get back onto the freeway and that's when I saw a whole bunch of flashing lights behind me. So there I was, on the eve of my birthday, surrounded in my car by floating balloons and pretty pink bags of presents. Getting a ticket, presumably for my headlight that was out.
But for all three tickets, I was given a warning.
I'm not writing this to say boast about being that chick that gets out of speeding tickets. I didn't swipe on some lip gloss and try to work the sex appeal thing to get out of it (it wouldn't have worked anyway). I didn't cry so hysterically that the officer felt bad. I didn't make up a story about needing to go to the ER or something.
I just was just simply shown grace.
Ironically enough, after the second incident this month (from the picture above), I was on my way to church. Guess what the sermon was about? God's grace, of course.
I think God has been trying to teach me something this month. It's important for me to learn to obey the speed limit in my new town. The rules are there for my safety and for the safety of others. Both the officer, and God, showed grace to me by letting me go with a warning instead of a fine.
As I drove home from church, I thought a lot about God's grace and the compassion that He has shown me in my life, despite inward and outward rebellion. I thought about how God could have fined me with eternal damnation and a lifetime of hell. But instead, He chose to give me grace, salvation, and the promise of a beautiful lifetime in heaven with Him. God gave me not only a warning ticket, but a ticket to forever with Him. Knowing His grace for me-- despite my weakness-- and the love He has for me, despite my sin, is like living every day in the carpool lane. And what did I do to deserve it? Nothing.
As I drove home from church, I thought a lot about God's grace and the compassion that He has shown me in my life, despite inward and outward rebellion. I thought about how God could have fined me with eternal damnation and a lifetime of hell. But instead, He chose to give me grace, salvation, and the promise of a beautiful lifetime in heaven with Him. God gave me not only a warning ticket, but a ticket to forever with Him. Knowing His grace for me-- despite my weakness-- and the love He has for me, despite my sin, is like living every day in the carpool lane. And what did I do to deserve it? Nothing.
"Grace is the good pleasure of God that inclines Him to bestow benefits upon the undeserving. Its use to us sinful men is to save us and make us sit together in heavenly places to demonstrate to the ages the exceeding riches of God’s kindness to us in Christ Jesus." - A.W. Tozer
The beautiful thing about knowing Jesus is that we are free from a lifetime of guilt. If we confess our sins and come right with God, He is faithful to free us from that constant burden of shame. No matter what your past sin, or what you are currently struggling with, Jesus desires to carry that burden for you. And when you do sin, if you confess, repent, and turn from it-- He will forgive you.
"Where is the god who can compare with you—
wiping the slate clean of guilt,
Turning a blind eye, a deaf ear,
to the past sins of your purged and precious people?
You don't nurse your anger and don't stay angry long,
for mercy is your specialty. That's what you love most.
And compassion is on its way to us.
You'll stamp out our wrongdoing.
You'll sink our sins
to the bottom of the ocean."
wiping the slate clean of guilt,
Turning a blind eye, a deaf ear,
to the past sins of your purged and precious people?
You don't nurse your anger and don't stay angry long,
for mercy is your specialty. That's what you love most.
And compassion is on its way to us.
You'll stamp out our wrongdoing.
You'll sink our sins
to the bottom of the ocean."
-- Micah 7:19
How have you seen God's favor and grace in your life? How can you emulate God's love by showing grace to someone today?
[credit]
Linking up today with Jami over at Call Me Blessed!
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