Our hearts are subtle and mysterious realms, swept over by the storms of grand emotions.
Why is it that the same offensive words from the lips of a friend can be more easily forgiven than when uttered by a person outside the orbit of our love?
Love holds within it the quality of grace, both when we receive it from the Father, and when we extend it to His children. God chose to love us “while we were yet sinners”—to extend His grace in spite of our offensiveness. But we routinely show that grace to only those who love us in return.
The difference lies in God’s amazing decision to love the entire world as though we had always been His friends. He sovereignly declares that all His children can also be His friends because of Jesus’ sacrifice: “For this is how God loved the world: He gave His one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16). “God was in Christ, reconciling the world to Himself” (2 Cor 5:19).
Can loving God expand the orbit of our love? How do we learn God’s graciousness for those who never earned our care—or even wounded us in spite?
We pray for God’s own love to take from us our stony hearts, and give us His great, principled affection for those who still offend us. God’s daily miracle of grace gives each of us—and everyone—the fullness of forgiving love.
So stay in grace. -Bill Knott
NOTHING TO OFFER (August 11, 2023)
WORDWISE (August 04, 2023)
BELOW THE SURFACE (July 28, 2023)
BEYOND SELF-HELP (July 21, 2023)
GRACE AMONG THE HOURS (July 14, 2023)
HEALED—AND HEALED AGAIN (July 07, 2023)
GATHERED BY GRACE (june 30, 2023)
GOOD FOR ALL (June 16, 2023)
RESPONSIBLE GRACE (June09, 2023)
DYING TO FORGIVE (June 02, 2023)
GRACE AND CLARITY (May 26, 2023)
WHAT IT MEANS TO BE HELD (May 19, 2023)
AS GENTLE AS GRACE (May 12, 2023)
DON’T TRUST YOUR HEART (May 05, 2023)
UNLISTED (April 28, 2023)
YOU’VE GOT A (GRACEFUL) FRIEND (April 21, 2023)
PRESENT AND CONTINUOUS (April 14, 2023)
Mission 150 - Episode 02 - Taking on the Mission to Europe
THE RISING SONG (April 07, 2023)
Create your
podcast in
minutes
It is Free
The Hello Heaven Podcast
Devoted To Prayer
Cast The Word
Let Me Be Frank | Bishop Frank Caggiano’s Podcast | Diocese of Bridgeport, CT
Rudolf Steiner Audio
Conspirituality