Living by Faith and Depending on God’s Grace

As we go through life there are many responsibilities we must carry. We want to do well and faithfully take care of what has been entrusted to us. Yet there are times when our hearts become burdened because we feel that everything depends upon what we can do. In these moments we need to remember the grace of God that sustains our lives.

It is easy to measure ourselves by how well things are going. When we accomplish what we planned we feel confident. When we fall behind or make mistakes we become discouraged. We may find it difficult to rest because there is always something more to finish. Without realizing it we begin to live as though our worth depends upon how much we can accomplish.

This way of thinking can also enter our relationship with God. We may feel close to Him when we believe we are doing well but hesitate to come before Him when we fall short. Prayer can become something we feel guilty about rather than a place where we receive strength. Yet our weakness is the very reason we need to come to the Lord.

Ephesians 2:8–9 teaches that we are saved by grace through faith rather than by our works. We did not earn the love through which God received us. Our relationship with Him began through what Christ has done for us. This grace must remain the foundation of our daily lives.

I remember a time when I accidentally broke my pastor’s plates at church. I felt sorry and thought I would need to pay for what I had broken. Yet my pastor shared that their children break things all the time and did not ask me to pay anything back. They received my mistake with understanding and grace.

What stayed with me was that they spoke about their own children. When a child breaks something at home they are still a child who is loved. In that moment I was able to understand more deeply the heart of grace. I had been thinking about what I owed and how I needed to make up for what I had done. Yet they were receiving me with the heart of a family.

We can also come before God thinking only about how we must repay Him or make up for what we lack. Yet through Christ He has received us as His children. This does not make our failures unimportant. It means that even in our failures we can return to our Father and trust in His love. As we receive this grace our desire to do well can grow from gratitude rather than the fear that we must earn our place before Him.

In Galatians 3:3 Paul asks the believers whether they are trying to finish by the flesh what began by the Spirit. We also need to reflect upon this question. We may believe that God saved us by grace while still trying to carry every burden through our own strength. The Lord who brought us to faith continues to care for us as we walk with Him.

Living by grace does not mean that we stop making an effort or neglect our responsibilities. It means that we can work faithfully without believing that everything rests upon us. A student can study diligently without allowing one disappointing result to determine their worth. Someone carrying responsibilities at home can acknowledge that they need help without seeing this as failure.

In 1 Corinthians 15:10 Paul acknowledges that he is who he is by the grace of God. Although he worked hard he recognized that God’s grace was working with him. We also can give our best while remembering where our strength comes from. When things go well we can give thanks. When we fall short we can learn and begin again with faith.

Jesus invites those who are weary and burdened to come to Him in Matthew 11:28–30. He does not ask us to put everything in order before approaching Him. We can come with the burdens we are carrying and learn to walk with Him. Through His Word and prayer we can receive the grace that our hearts need.

As we face each day may we remember that we are loved by God before we accomplish anything. There is work to do and there are ways we still need to grow. Yet we can move forward with confidence in His care. As this grace becomes more deeply rooted in our hearts we can find renewed joy in the life He has given us.