Overflowing Grace
Abiding with God is like a vine attached to a branch. The attached vine receives everything from the branch. When we correctly align ourselves with God, making a place for Him in the center of everything we do, we find ourselves connected to a never-ending flow of His powerful grace. There is no shortage of His supply. He doesn’t have to ration it out to make sure there’s enough to go around. He always has a fresh supply available for us, and since we are connected to Him, we can just simply ask.
In our everyday interactions, we need continual supernatural grace. When we only have a limited supply, it is easy for those around us to get on our last nerve, and to offend us. At the same time, some people get easily offended by our actions and lash out. It doesn’t even matter what our motive was. But let me share a little tip with you that I have learned. Are you ready?
How people respond to you is more about them than it is about you.
How you respond to others is more about you than it is about them.
This is absolutely true! I remember working in a small company that only had two people in the office, me and the manager. I would ask her a question, and she just wouldn’t respond. At first, I thought she hadn’t heard me and so I would repeat the question. But I soon realized she was purposely ignoring me. Nothing makes me feel worse that being ignored. Her reaction though was all about her. She was a very unhappy person and had nothing in her to extend to me except her own anger, fear and anxiety. It was a tough environment to work in even though I knew I had done nothing wrong. I was responsible for my reaction. Everything in me was trying to ignore God’s grace available to me, and just lash out and tell her off. I didn’t tell her off; I chose to respond through the overflow of God’s abundant grace until I could find a new job.
We are encouraged in 2 Corinthians 8, to excel in the act of grace, or “overflow in this grace also” in the same way the Macedonian Christians were. They were going through desperate circumstances and poverty, but the overflow of God’s grace in them led to the “spilling out” of His grace to others. They gave joyfully from what they had and from their lack, and they gave beyond their ability. We have been given that same grace that is beyond our ability, that is able flow through us and splash grace all over those around us.
Step into His grace and let it overflow in your life!
—-Tami Gaupp