Grace is something that is given... not earned. It is a benevolence of spirit.
I need grace from God and others because I fall short, mess up, say the wrong things, have a selfish attitude, and act like a flawed human. The very reason I need the Grace is because I don't deserve it.
When I give grace to others, it's for the same reason. It's because they've fallen short and messed up, and I understand that it is because they are human too.
I need to give myself grace as well. A friend of mine told me someone once let him know, in their observation, he was really not doing life very well. My friend responded "Dude, you have no idea how far I've come". I like that. I've come a long way too, and have a long way to go, but I'm still moving forward... still working on things. I'll give myself grace and I'll accept it too.
Grace is necessary because of the human condition. We are flawed, imperfect, broken people. I think that grace is something that God created to help keep us from beating ourselves and others up and from becoming discouraged and defeated. Grace allows space for understanding and can bring hope and forgiveness and healing. It is something we can give each other, like saying "I see you. I know that life is rough sometimes and that you might just be trying to pour out of an empty cup. You're ok", and it's like saying to ourselves "Hey, you're ok. You'll get it better next time. Make it right and let's move on".
Real grace elevates and encourages.
