In my last post, “How to Give Yourself Grace,” I shared how learning to speak grace over myself changed the way I deal with mistakes and growth. But there’s another layer we can’t miss: the difference between the grace we offer ourselves and the grace God offers us.
Our grace often runs out. God’s grace never does. And when we understand the gap between the two, it reshapes how we live, love, and grow.
The Grace We Give Ourselves vs. The Grace God Offers Us
The grace we offer ourselves is not the same kind of grace God offers us.
Our grace has limits and self-imposed standards. “You crossed me three times already today, that’s it—I’m done with you.” And for some of us, it only takes one mistake and that’s it for life.
Other times, our grace comes with conditions. “Sure, I’ll give you grace this time, but only if you do xyz for me next time.”
But what kind of grace is that? Why are we bargaining grace away as if any of us could afford to pay the price of real grace?
Because real grace—the kind Jesus died for so it could be FREELY given to us—cost everything to Him. He chose to bear that price so we wouldn’t have to.
Endless Grace
The next time you feel down about yourself or like you’ve messed up, I want you to remember this: the only qualification for endless grace—the type of grace God offers—is that you are a child of God.
That means there is no bad day, no failure, and no growing season where God’s grace is not waiting for you.
God didn’t send Jesus because we were perfect people.
God sent Jesus to save imperfect people who were made dead to sin, so that we could have life through Jesus.
“So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive his mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it most.” —Hebrews 4:16 (NLT)
Grace as Lifestyle vs. Grace as Habit
Giving yourself grace is both a practice and a way of life.
Grace as a lifestyle means living from the belief that because Jesus died for you, grace is always available to you, and it’s a core truth you center your life on.
Grace as a habit is how that belief shows up practically—in how you think, in how you speak, and in how you treat yourself and others.
When you live grace as a lifestyle it changes the way you respond to life.
Our grace may be limited, but God’s grace is endless. And when we root ourselves in His grace, it frees us to live differently—with more love, more hope, and more grace filled compassion toward ourselves and others.
This is part 2 of the “Grace in Practice” series, where we explore what it means to live out God’s grace in everyday life. Read Part 1 and Part 3.
