Why Is There So Little Grace?

I heard that people booed former President Bush before the inauguration of President Obama. What would be the purpose of this? Here is a man who did what he thought was right for our country. He did not waver in this no matter what you thought of him.

Grace seems to have left our country. We have lost the ability to respect an individual while disagreeing with him. We are quick to point out others faults, demand a pound of flesh and never give forgiveness. What has happened to grace?

I believe that most people never experience grace in their lives. Their parents may have never given them grace. They don't go to church so they don't understand God's grace. They have never received grace so they don't ever give grace.

A graceless society is dangerous. It becomes more and more litiguous. Each mistake is followed by a lawsuite. There is no unity in a people who become afraid of each other. Fears breed suspicions. Stories grow from suspicions. Actions emerge from the stories. Violence comes from the actions. Is this what we have already?

Grace holds the door for the person behind you because you respect that person. Grace returns the shopping cart back to its place because you respect the poor soul who has to gather these to return to the store. Grace says, "Thank you," and, "Please." These do not come because you are made to do so but because there is grace in your life.

Grace disappears when people have had great expectations for their lives and these expectations aren't met. They see others receiving what they think they deserve. There will be less and less grace depending upon their sense of entitlement. Thus, people are not thankful when they expected to get a $5 raise and only get a $3 raise. They think they have been cheated. They will give no grace because they feel they have received none.

God's grace needs to be realized by all. God's grace is for everyday. We receive it in the people He places in our lives. We receive it with each breath we take.

I have realized that anything short of burning in hell is God's grace to me. I have sinned and deserve nothing from God. His grace has been extended to me in anything that will not lead me in that hell. I should make no expectations of others that would give me entitlement and, therefore, destroy the grace I should extend to everyone else. Why should I give them grace? Because I am receiving God's grace right now!

We should extend this grace to our new president. No matter what he does which we might disagree with, we should respect him as our president and give him grace.