Paul tells us the story of his life, and how it was changed. He pulls no punches, does not try to spin the facts, but lays it out in all its flaws and failings. I’m not fit to be doing what I am doing, he admits; because, I was once persecuting the very faith I now preach. The fact that he is living the life before him is because of grace. He is who he is because of God’s grace.
We are all products of grace. Someone, somewhere gave us a hand up at a critical moment, those around us sacrificed for us, a stranger or a friend took a chance on us. This is grace. The person I am today is not my doing alone. My wife, my parents, my friends all granted me grace so I might be who I am. God’s grace chose me for the paths I have walked, paths I would never have walked on my own.
Recognizing the role of grace in our lives is an act of humility. We are not self-made people, but those who have become who we are because of others and because of God. Acknowledging this gives us the freedom to admit where we’ve failed, to confess our shortcomings. This frees us from the fear of being found out, and releases us to be graceful to others. And in so doing we show that the grace we’ve received has not been given in vain.
May we live abundantly; so, the grace we receive might never be given in vain.