"Out of his fullness we have all received grace in place of grace already given."
John 1:16 (NIV)
Grace keeps coming like waves on a beach. The literal translation is "grace upon grace," one wave after another. You receive one wave of mercy, and before it recedes, another crashes over you. This isn't a limited supply you can exhaust or earn. This is abundant, overflowing, never-ending grace from Christ's infinite fullness.
Most of us live like grace has a bottom. We fear we've used up our share with God. We worry we've failed too many times to receive more forgiveness. We feel like we've exhausted His patience with our repeated struggles. But that's not how grace works in Jesus. His fullness means there's always more, always another wave coming.
John Stott captured this beautifully: "Grace is love that cares and stoops and rescues." It's not passive; it's active and pursuing. It doesn't wait for you to deserve it before moving. It keeps coming whether you've earned it or not. Think about the ocean: waves don't stop because the shore is dirty. They keep washing over it, relentless and renewing.
Here's why this matters for your hardest relationships this Christmas. You can extend grace to that difficult person because you're receiving it. You can be patient one more time because Christ is patient with you. You can forgive again because you've been forgiven again and again. Dallas Willard said, "Grace is not opposed to effort; it's opposed to earning." Extending grace will cost you effort, but you're not earning anything.
The problem isn't that you don't have enough grace to give. The problem is you've forgotten how much you're receiving every single moment. When you feel depleted, it's because you're trying to give from yourself. When you remember Christ's fullness, you give from His endless supply. Stop measuring out grace like it's scarce when it's overflowing.
Godseekers, you have access to limitless grace right now. That impossible person who drains you? Christ's fullness is enough for them. That relationship that feels like it's taken everything you have? Another wave is coming. That family member who keeps hurting you? Grace upon grace is available. You can't run out because you're drawing from Jesus' inexhaustible supply. Stop rationing; start receiving.
Prayer
Dear Lord, You are the God of abundant, overflowing grace. We praise You that Your fullness never runs dry or runs out. Thank You for wave after wave of undeserved mercy in our lives. Forgive us for living like grace is scarce instead of limitless. Open our eyes to see how much we're receiving every moment. Help us draw from Your fullness, not from our empty reserves. Give us grace to extend to difficult people this Christmas season. Remind us that we can give freely because we're receiving continuously. In Jesus' name, Amen.
Personal Reflection
- When do I feel most depleted in my ability to extend grace, and what does that reveal about where I'm drawing my supply from?
- How would my approach to difficult relationships change if I truly believed Christ's grace toward me is limitless and continuous?
Step of Faith
Today, I will spend time remembering specific ways I've received God's grace this year, then ask Him to help me extend that same grace to one difficult person from His fullness, not my emptiness.
