Becoming a woman of grace is not complicated, but sometimes it isn’t easy. It requires humility – realizing that without God we are completely lost, in this life and for eternity.
Let me tell you of one time when I was so humbled, and still God showed His grace in amazing ways. Back in 2010, I felt led to get my doctorate in education. Circumstances prevented this until June of 2015. The program was online most of the time, but for 2 weeks in June, I was to be on campus. So, June of 2015, I was set to begin the program.
Also in June of 2015, my mom went into the hospital with seizures. She got worse and worse. Mom died on June 19. I moved into the dorm on June 21. Kelly came home from Kenya June 22. We had visitation on the 23rd and her funeral on the 24th. Then I had 1 ½ more weeks to go at Tech. Even during this awful beginning, God’s grace was flooding my life and I didn’t even know it. My cohort (a group of about 10 other students) was so supportive. The teachers were wonderful. I think that experience bound us together for our journey over the next 2 years.
I was the first person in our cohort to defend my dissertation, and the first one in our cohort to graduate. Completing this was the hardest thing, school-wise, that I ever did. But God is faithful! I was held and cared for the entire time – by GOD! Truthfully, I had never considered myself “doctorate material” – whatever that is. God showed me that HE IS doctorate material. What do you need Him to be for you?
From all the references we read in Scripture, grace is evidently both the motive and the means for everything God does for people on the earth. Picture God reaching down to meet every need of His children. As a woman of grace, I lean heavily upon the God who wants to meet my needs. He is no stingy Father! He’s always looking for a way to bless us. Because of grace and by grace. What do you need God to reach down and do for you?
The way that grace can reach me is when I humble myself and understand that I NEED His grace. Recognizing that I need grace makes me a great candidate for it. Humbling myself opens the door for God to pour grace into me.
Being a woman of grace requires confession and repentance. Along with confession to God, we are called to give and receive forgiveness from others. Do you cringe at the thought of asking someone to forgive you? Those closest to you offer a wonderful training ground for asking for forgiveness and giving forgiveness, even if no one asks for it.
Being a woman of grace means seeing myself as God sees me. Scripture after Scripture tells me who I am in Christ! When I read these verses, yet I believe that they can’t possibly apply to me, for whatever reason, I’m lacking humility, because I’m refusing to accept God’s Word as true, despite my feelings. You really are a woman of grace, a daughter of the King of Kings!
Being a woman of grace means that I relinquish the need to “fix” everything. When my mom was in the hospital and I was in this position of feeling like I needed to fix this, I begged God to tell me what to do to make it all ok. He spoke to me one day and said, “This is not about you. If your mom is ready to come home, she will come home.” He was helping me to understand that my will was not the guiding force in this situation. It gave me relief to just let God be in control, and to let my mom go. When I have to “fix” everything, that’s pride. If I think my way is the only way, there’s no humility there, and I resist His grace.
As I am humble before God and receive His grace, I am in turn able to give that grace away to those around me. Hoarding up the grace stops the flow. I can only behave as a woman of grace to the degree that I receive that grace from Him. Let’s fling the door of humility wide open! Let’s live our lives as women who are both empowered by and who radiate grace.
We’d like to thank Sheri Warren for sharing this post.
Women's Ministry 