The Power of Grace

The Power of Grace

The other day while shopping in Giant, I experienced physical symptoms pronounced enough to garner my attention. The symptoms were ones I had experienced while being “outside” for the last 90-days or so. Symptoms such as: nausea, slight dizziness, shortness of breath,  and extreme fatigue after arriving home. Because again, these symptoms were familiar, I developed an immediate response: pray, slow down and make the trip short. That’s what I did, prayed over myself, slowed down and decided what I could eliminate from my grocery list to cut my time in the store and head home. Just as I started praying, The Holy Spirit inclined to me that praying against the physical symptoms would not bring resolve because although what I was experiencing manifested itself physically in my body, it was far deeper… it was spiritual. The moment I received that message, the symptoms stopped. I continued shopping while receiving additional downloads from The Lord.

In a nutshell, He showed me that the world feels extremely heavy right now as a result of the workings of the prince of the air also known as satan. As a response, people are weighed down and carrying unimaginable loads. It’s not always in loud, obvious ways—but in the quiet, invisible ones like the long pauses before someone answers “I’m good, how about you,” the tired, weary eyes we pass in our daily travels, or the weight people carry that never quite makes it into words.

So many are fighting battles we cannot see. Grief that lingers and often manifests in physical pain or through mental anguish. There’s anxiety that overwhelms and combats peace, loss of employment leading to financial strain, broken relationships, silent disappointments, questions about purpose, identity, and hope. It’s not always obvious, until a person reaches their wits end, but it is very real. And it is everywhere.

It’s easy, in a world like this, to grow impatient with one another. We all do it. We’re conditioned to “fast pace,” which results in us responding quickly instead of compassionately. “Get out of my way,” or “Ugh, what is their problem,” are all quick, impatient, non-compassionate ways we respond. But what if we slowed down just enough to remember: most people are doing the best they can with what they’re carrying and our interaction may be the only glimpse of hope they receive?

2 Corinthians 12:9 reminds us that His grace is sufficient and His strength is made perfect in weakness. He offers us grace in abundance, and it is His desire we extend that same gift to others. When we speak, our words should offer grace the way we respond, before we assume. If we operate in grace, instead of responding in judgement, we may consider the burden that person might be carrying.

While we won’t always have access to the source as to why or how others respond the way they do, as sons and daughters of Christ we have a direct line to The Source. It is our responsibility to not only pray His will against the tricks and schemes of the prince of darkness, but to use our witness to lighten the load others may be carrying by being His light.

So remember, as a Christian, we are in the world but not of it. The battles we fight are always attached to the depth of the spirit. It’s imperative to remember this before responding to our personal matters and especially others.

Christ extends Grace freely… receive it, shower yourself with it often and extend it to someone else. After all, the world is a heavy place, “seemingly” overtaken by the prince who is our adversary, but the King has already overcome the world. Hold on, release your heaviness at His feet and allow His grace to carry you!