Grace Upon Grace (Friday Devotional)

From his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace.

- John 1:16

This past Monday, I was at the park watching my son play on the playground. It had been a stressful morning, with more whining and less listening than I’d have preferred, and I was grateful for the respite, some time for him to run off excess energy and for me to have a little space. As I watched him climb the stairs to get to the slide (pretty steep for a two-year old) I couldn’t help but admire his determination and his precision, how carefully and intentionally he lifted his leg and how tightly he held on to the railing. Suddenly, he turned his head and locked eyes with me. “Hi Dada!” he cried out, a grin filling his face. Then without another word, he went back to the work at hand, on to the next step.

In that moment, I had one of those incomparable moments of parental bliss where you’re filled with pride and joy at what a wonderful child God has given you. The stress from the morning melted away, its last remnant a longing thought: “Why can’t every moment be like this?” The answer came to me instantly, so clear that it almost seemed audible: “What kind of love would that be?”

God’s answer: not my kind. Perhaps the greatest joy of salvation in Jesus Christ is knowing that our heavenly Father’s love for us is not based on a collection of happy memories weighed against disappointments. God didn’t make a pros and cons list when deciding whether to love you—before you were even born, God loved you fully and unconditionally.

The ultimate proof is the cross. “While we were still sinners,” Romans 5:8 reminds us, “Christ died for us.” God didn’t wait for us to get our acts together before sending Jesus to save the world from sin, He showed the grace a parent shows their child. Our failures are not ignored, but when we bring them before Him, they are redeemed. Our sins are not condoned, but when we repent, they are forgiven.

God loves you in a way that no mistake, failure, or sin can overcome—and the best way you can respond to that kind of grace is to fill the world with it. When you are angry, seek reconciliation before retribution. When you are bitter, look for friends instead of enemies. When you feel lost, seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness. The Lord has given us grace upon grace—it’s time the children of God learn from their Father.