Don't Forget Grace

It’s easy to fall into the trap of failed expectations. We get disappointed when things don’t turn out the way we planned. People miss dates and deadlines, important meetings get cancelled, our staff performs below average, technology fails. Even more difficult is when we fail ourselves. Unforgivable! Often, leaders live in a perpetual state of feeling like they’re missing the mark. 

Here’s a simple thought… Don’t forget Grace.

You have to give liberal amounts of grace to everyone around you, including yourself. No one is perfect. We all regularly fall short of God’s expectations (Romans 3:23). No one can live up to His strict demands. His laws will literally break you. That’s why He sent Jesus. That’s why He gave us grace. We can’t do it alone. We can’t do it AT ALL. Jesus alone is the only way to get there.

Maybe what you’re striving for feels so far out of reach. You’ve even considered turning back or taking another direction. Just hold on. God’s plan for you is still in motion. You’ve forgotten what got you this far. It wasn’t your moxy or your smarts, your ingenuity or genius. You’ve relied on others and yourself way too long and way too much. You’ve been trying instead of relying.

The vision God gave you isn’t up to you or anyone else to fulfill, especially if the vision is too big for you, which it should be so God will get all the glory. This is not to say that you shouldn’t do what you know to do and do it well. However, you must remember that God ALONE is able to bring everything to fruition. It’s not up to you. It’s up to Him (1 Thessalonians 5:24). 

You’ve heard it said it takes teamwork to make the dream work. Not entirely true. God is the dream giver and the dream fulfiller. When others fail you and you even fail yourself, God will NEVER fail you. His hands aren’t tied, nor is He limited by anything. God WILL do what He has promised in spite of anyone’s ability to keep their end of the bargain (2 Timothy 1:12).

Stop depending on others to get you to the place God has called you. Quit believing that everything that happens in your life is up to anyone or anything else. Put all your stock in God. 

Don’t forget Grace.