“For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—.” Ephesians 2:8 (NIV)
Flash back to 2010. I was 15 years old, heart broken, a Sophomore in High School, and I felt like the biggest mistake in the world. I was living in a dark gray cloud and felt as if I would never find my way out. Depression, anxiety, and stress took over my life and before I knew it I was also failing classes. Those of you who know me well, know that my academics are always a priority and behavior such as failing classes is never like me. My life was in shambles, and those I thought I could trust showed me what it felt like to be vindictively stabbed in the back. I went through the motions and did what I needed to, but I never felt as though I belonged.
Have Your Voice Heard: Become an Odyssey Creator
At the time, roller skating was a big stress-reliever for me, so you could always find me at the rink. My friend, who actually, still to this day, doesn’t know he significantly impacted my life, Buford, invited me to his church. I had been talking to him and told him I felt I was removed from the Lord, and felt I needed to welcome Him back into my heart. “Come with me to Westover hills Assembly of God, I know you will love it”, he said. Unfortunately, that night I wasn’t able to join him, but the following opportunity presented itself and I took it.
It was a Wednesday night, youth night, and Pastor Mike was preaching. I remember walking through those doors, hearing the roar of the music, seeing the lights fade, and suddenly becoming overwhelmed by a sense of calming serenity. I was finally at home. I was entranced by the pastor’s words. Before I knew it, I was kneeling, overwhelmed by tears, and crying out to the Lord. I can’t specifically remember what Pastor Mike’s message was about, but I know that when I walked out of that service, my life was forever changed. I felt as if I was born again. The Lord had once again given me His precious Grace, and I welcomed Him with open arms. Grace saved my life that day.
Without Grace, the very steep and dark path which I was traveling on, could quite possibly have led me to not be present on this earth anymore. I hated myself, hated what I saw in the mirror, and there was nothing I wanted more than to remove myself from this earth. I felt that no longer being present would stop the harm and the pain I was causing to myself. God forbade that to happen.
To me, Christ’s grace is a powerful thing, one that saves lives and changes hearts. His grace was given to me, when in fact I was very undeserving. I was and am a sinner, yet God continued to reach out His hand and willingly let me receive His beautiful unmerited favor. Although I had witnessed His Grace, it was hard for me to wrap my head around what exactly had saved my life.
This past week I talked to some of my fellow Christ-believers whom I turn to in order to answer many of my faith-based questions, and asked them to define what God’s grace meant to them. Words and phrases quickly poured out of the hearts of my friends; “He is unlimited in His love, kindness, goodness, and holiness”, “It is a gift that allows us to enter into eternal life…and allows us to overcome the hardships of life”, “Without it we could not have a relationship with God”, “Never ending. All consuming. All inclusive. Absolutely complete.”. It was so beautiful to see how each person had a different definition, but in the end, it all boiled down to God’s unmerited favor and His gracious love for all of His children.
God’s grace, I would say, is one of the most powerful tools the Lord gives us to let us know that through our faith in Him, we can conquer all when His grace is placed upon us. Grace allows us to soften our hearts, love one another, and truly see that a life with the Lord is His greatest blessing. I will never forget that day, and will continue to state that Grace saved my life. Through His Grace we can reap all that He has sowed for us. He has great plans for us, to prosper us, and not to harm us. He plans to give us Hope and a Future.
Before you decide you are not worthy of love or life, ask yourself this question...
