My Epiphany About Grace

Grace is a concept that I have recently been studying. To be honest I have always struggled with it. Grace is defined as the spontaneous, unmerited gift of Divine favor in the salvation of sinners, and the divine influence operating in individuals for their sanctification. What?

I always thought you had to get God’s attention to be blessed. Like with your parents, the good kids got extra rewards and affection. I saw grace as God’s version of affection.

But since becoming a mother, I realize how wrong I have been about love. I look at my son and can’t imagine him ever having to earn my love. I love him because he exists. He doesn’t have to do or be anything for me to love him.

I’m beginning to understand that our Heavenly Father loves us in the same way- as a father does. And even more perfectly than earthly parents love their children. We exist and thrive in the warmth of His love for us. That love is Grace. It picks us up when we can’t go on. And when life or trials are too much, God’s grace makes up the difference and allows us to endure great suffering or accomplish amazing things we could never do on our own.

I was stuck

This has been a major epiphany for me because growing up I always thought I had to earn God’s grace. Because in the LDS church, there is a major misunderstanding about Grace. It is tied to a scripture often quoted from 2 Nephi 25:23.

23 For we labor diligently to write, to persuade our children, and also our brethren, to believe in Christ, and to be reconciled to God; for we know that it is by grace that we are saved, after all we can do.

That last part, “After all we can do” has many of us stuck. It had me stuck. I wondered how to earn the grace mentioned in the scriptures. But I have recently been reading a lot of Emily Belle Freeman’s writings about Grace. And I am getting a clearer vision.

Grace

Thinking — Sometimes you have to work to understand. I had to work to understand Grace.

In her book Grace Where You Are, she talks about how we should not take that one verse in 2 Nephi out of context with the rest of the chapter. And when you read the rest of 2 Nephi 25, Nephi says repeatedly to “believe in Christ”.

I counted and he says to believe in Christ nine times in the chapter. Nine times is a lot! After learning this, I now understand the point Nephi was making. He is inviting us to believe in Christ, NOT telling us we have to earn Grace.

I felt like I needed more information, and Emily has written many books on Grace. So next I read her book Grace to Become. In this beautiful book, Emily taught me that Jesus will meet you where you are, as you are, but he doesn’t intend to leave you there. Instead, the Savior offers divine grace to heal wounds and elevate souls.

Next, I read From Grace to Charity where she taught me that as God gives us grace, our souls grow. And since charity is the pure love of Christ, as our abilities expand we become more like Him. And God’s ultimate goal is to help us grow to live with Him again one day.

She suggested that God’s ultimate goal is that we all have charity and that He gives us Grace as a tool to reach that goal. It is incredibly insightful and rang so true to my soul that accepting God’s grace has become easier.

Understanding Grace

Light bulbs — I feel new light and knowledge.

Understanding this new side of God and His love for His children has changed my life. Knowing that God loves me and sees potential in me encourages me. If He believes in me, I need to believe in myself! And thinking that God’s ultimate goal is to help us have Charity. makes me want to understand Charity better.

More than anything I feel a new sense of freedom. I have a place in my Heavenly Father’s heart that I don’t have to earn. I simply need to believe, and have faith that He loves me and that He will help me through all the trials and difficulties that life puts in my path.

I’ve heard a saying that “What God leads you to, He will lead you through.” I like that. And I recently heard this deep thought: “We often say God won’t give you more than you can handle. But what we should be saying is that God helps you handle what you are given.”

Both quotes remind me that God is here for us and that He doesn’t create the trials in our lives. He supports us and loves us through them. And through God’s Grace, our souls grow closer to Him. I’m so grateful for this new understanding of my Heavenly Father and His role in my life.