Grace Undeserved

I have received undeserved grace from God, my Father. Everything I have comes from His love, His sacrifice on the cross at Calvary, and His grace and mercy. There is nothing I have done—or will ever do—to deserve any of it.

So why, then, do I feel compelled to make others earn favor from me? I am often stingy with the grace and mercy I extend to others. I’ve received so many blessings simply because I am His daughter. Why, then, is it so hard for my heart to offer my children that same unearned favor?

I worry that if I’m too free or generous in what I give to my children, they’ll become spoiled. But I’m only fooling myself to think I can control their hearts. It is their own relationship with Jesus that will shape the posture of their hearts. That’s not to say my parenting has no limits—I’m still called to be a good steward of them. But my heart must be oriented toward love, grace, and mercy. It should lean into the blessing it is to be their parent, not resist it.

I choose not to place heavy burdens on them—burdens I wouldn’t want to carry myself. I choose to parent with love, grace, and mercy, even when it’s undeserved.

I will trust that my children will grow in their own relationship with the Lord, and that through that relationship they will develop hearts full of gratitude and compassion for others.

And I will remember: I cannot change their hearts—only God can. My role is to guide them, and to live out His Word with my life.