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Contentment increases when your awareness of grace does. The more you recognize what God has done, is doing and will do for you as a free and undeserved gift, the more you will be grateful for what you have instead of grumble over what you do not have. To nurture this contentment, we should regularly look back at God’s faithfulness to us in Christ and look forward to God’s promises to us in Christ. Today, let us rejoice over past grace and request future grace, knowing that God has always and will always give to us what is best for us. We don’t have to look very hard to appreciate all that we are given; we just have to look.

There are certain rhythms of grace that will help us better experience grace. These habits, disciplines and practices help us remember, rejoice in, respond to, and rely on God’s favor to us in Christ. While there are many of them, there are four basic rhythms that give birth to the rest of them: Pray. Read the Bible. Respond to what God tells you. Help others do the same. This is how we better experience all that God means for us to have, as a means for us to better enjoy God Himself. The best way to dive into and delight in the fountainhead of grace is to walk daily with the Giver of grace.

While grace is available to us all the time, we do not experience its every benefit all the time. We often miss out on blessings that could be ours. Why? Because of sin-created barriers. We don’t think we need God’s help, don’t remember to ask for God’s help, don’t believe God will send help, and/or refuse the help that He sends. But here is good news: He welcomes us to come back to Him. Therefore, let us… Acknowledge our need for His help, ask for His help, anticipate His help, accept His help, and act by His help. When we do, we can be sure of this: Jesus, our great Barrier-Remover will not push us away; He will make us a way.

What is going on in your life today? If something good is happening, it’s by grace. If something bad is being handled, it’s by grace. That sunset, steak and surprise text from your friend. That’s by grace. The trial you’re getting through and the trouble you got through. Yep, grace. Your ability, opportunity and community … grace, grace, grace. The tears wiped away and the smiles of the day. Grace on top of grace. Beating hearts, peaceful sleep, acts of service, growing pains, friends that care, strength to continue, paid bills, lessons learned, fresh water, hugs. You can’t look in any direction without seeing the evidence of God’s grace.

The practicality of grace can get lost in the technicality of its meaning. We know grace is God’s “unmerited favor” toward us, but that’s very generalized. What does it specifically look like in everyday life? It looks like: forgiveness during failures, peace during storms, hope during trials, comfort during heartaches, joy during suffering, guidance during uncertainty, rest during busyness, strength during temptation, blessing during good times, and so much more. But even that is not as pin-point accurate as grace really is, for it shows up in countless minutiae within those categories. Grace is all around us.

It’s not just about your past. It’s not just about your future. It’s also about your present. Our sinful separation from God is behind us, and our face-to-face fellowship with Him is ahead of us; in between the two is the nowness of everyday life. And grace is there. The way that God works in our lives is very practical for the right here, right now moments of our lives. You will not face a single situation today, good or bad, self-induced or involuntary, hard or easy, quick or lasting, anticipated or unexpected, that God has not provided for. Take heart! Grace is there for the asking for both your well-being on the inside and what is happening on the outside.

By grace, God serves up an endless buffet of soul-nourishing, soul-delighting blessings for those who trust in Jesus. This includes: forgiveness, friendship, freedom, wisdom, power, peace, purpose, joy, hope, security, rest, justice, thankfulness, assurance, deliverance, guidance, significance, endurance, comfort, companionship, care, courage, transformation, satisfaction, love and life. And this is not a complete list! The countless implications and applications of the benefits that are ours by grace are staggering and extend from now until eternity. We need not settle for morsels when we can indulge in a feast. Because we have Jesus, we can have it all.

One of the evidences that you have received God’s pardon for your sin is that you are relying on God’s power to fight against your sin. Forgiveness and freedom are two inseparable aspects of grace. You don’t get one without the other. Our rate and depth of spiritual growth will vary by person and season, but one thing every genuine Christian has in common is this: sin no longer holds the same appeal or power as it once did. We once loved it, but we grow to hate it. We once gave in to it, but we grow to fight against it. Though we will not be sinless, we will sin less because of this… Our relationship with sin changes because of our relationship with Jesus.

God’s grace is always in harmony with God’s will. That means that although He will do for us what is good for us, it will often be in ways that are different than what we expected, desired or requested. Grace always fit two things: what we need, and what God wants. It will serve both our particulars and His purposes, ensuring that our needs are cared for and His plans are carried out. Know this: God is wisely superintending the entire cosmos while intimately attending to you and me. We don’t have to understand how God is working it all out for good; we just need to trust that He is.

Sometimes God gives to us before we ask and sometimes because we ask. While God does countless gracious things for us, in us and through us without us requesting them or even realizing them, there are some things He does only as a response to us humbly asking Him. To be sure, we don’t pray to get what we want to build our own kingdoms; we pray to get what we need to live for His. Still, God loves to be seen as generous, loves for us to appeal to His generosity, and loves to give generously to us as He deems best because He loves us. So… Pray often, celebrating the grace already given to you and requesting the grace that is yet to come.