According to Henry Cloud, “Growth is a product of Grace and Truth plus Time.”
Or, “Grace and Truth + Time = Change”
Let’s consider Grace. In Western Christian theology, grace is “the love and mercy given by God because God desires us to have it, not because of anything we have done to earn it.” It is the opposite of karma, which is all about getting our just desserts, good or bad.
Grace is God giving us Himself: His love to the unlovely; His peace to the restless; all that He is to all the broken ones. To us.
For out of His [God’s] fullness [the superabundance of His grace and truth] we have all received grace upon grace [spiritual blessing upon spiritual blessing, favor upon favor, and gift heaped upon gift]. For the Law was given through Moses, but grace [the unearned, undeserved favor of God] and truth came through Jesus Christ. John 1:16-17 Amplified Bible
“Grace is the first ingredient necessary for growing up in the image of God. Grace is unbroken, uninterrupted, unearned, accepting relationship. It is the kind of relationship humanity had with God in the Garden of Eden. Adam and Eve were loved and provided for. They knew God’s truth, and they had perfect freedom to do God’s will. In short, they were secure; they had no shame and anxiety. They could be who they truly were. Perhaps you have experienced this kind of love and grace with someone. You can be exactly who you are. You do not need to hide your thoughts or feelings; you do not need to perform; you do not need to do anything to be loved. Someone knows the real you, and loves you anyway.” (Henry Cloud)
Grace, then, is the relational aspect of God’s character. And because of that,
“We are in a constant position of being loved.” (Henry Cloud)
Do you realize how much you are loved? God says,
“I have loved you with a love that lasts forever.
I have kept on loving you with a kindness that never fails.”
Jeremiah 31:3b New International Reader’s Version
I need to spend some time remembering how much my Father loves me. I need to soak in His grace.
Because no positive change is possible until I fully understand who God says I am, and that I am fully loved. Always and forever, Amen.
