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“Receiving grace is often easier than dispensing it.”

A thought by Andy Stanley (2010-10-19) in his book, The Grace of God (p. 117). Thomas Nelson. Kindle Edition.

I don’t know if you are married or not but if you are you experience conflict every once in a while.  This is especially true if there are two very strong willed people in the marriage.  Conflict just happens but resolving it and coming out of it with the relationship in tack means someone hast to stop and listen to what the other person is saying.   If the relationship is important, at some point one of the two will decide to stop telling their side and listen to the other side.  When this happens there will be a resolution to the conflict.

Now which is easier?  To be gracious and to stop trying to get them to understand your side or to be the one who is allowed to tell their side.  Of course being the one allowed to continue has the easier time but the one who stops and listens is deeply rewarded.  It is great to receive grace but it is also great to give it.

I had something interesting happen to me today.  Every morning I have a walking routine at our Roosevelt Mall.  I walk for at least 45 minutes and then I stop at the Starbucks in the Mall and get a Venti Tazo® Black Shaken Iced Tea and set down, drink it while I read my Kindle and then walk another 45 minutes.  Well today I paid for my drink and the three baristas were a little slow getting my drink made and it bothered me but I didn’t say anything.  Now usually after I set down to drink my tea I check in to Foursquare on my iPhone that I am there at the Starbucks in the Roosevelt Mall and I almost today made mention for the world to read that I had gotten poor service.  But I didn’t so I started reading my Kindle and the first words I read were, “Where is your grace?”  That got my attention and I asked God to forgive me.  I was glad I hadn’t said anything.

God wants us to be gracious people no matter what people do to us or how easy it is.  He is so gracious to us.   We don’t deserve it and they don’t either but He gives it to us and He wants us to give it to them.  Gracious people are rare in this dog eat dog world.   That is one way we truly can make a difference.   

So what about you?
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  1. Marissa WilliamsAugust 22, 2011 at 9:50 AM

    Man! You are so right, Bill!!! We went to Black Eyed Pea the other day and we got the WORST service I have ever gotten in a restaurant... I mean, it was bad. When my 84 year old grandma asked her which vegetables they had, the waitress replied with an irritated tone "we have like 20 of them, just read the menu and I will come back to you when you are ready." She made many mistakes (blaming us for them), was impatient with us, and was downright rude throughout our meal. Normally I would have said something... but I just kept thinking... we do not know why she is the way she is. We don't know what happened to her this morning before work...etc. I did not say anything, even when there was an automatic gratuity added to the check... I said nothing... and after leaving I felt so proud of myself. I may have felt better in the moment if I had said something to this lady, but later I would have regretted it. I am always trying to grow at being "slow to speak" and to extend grace... it is much more difficult to extend it than to receive it. You are so right.

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  2. Bill WilliamsAugust 22, 2011 at 11:10 AM

    My other area I have major problems in being gracious is in my driving, expecially here. But I want to be gracious. I really do. Thanks, Marissa.

    ReplyDelete

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