“But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ” (2Pet. 3:18 KJV).
When I was growing up my family and I were invited to dinner at the home of someone on my father’s mail route. The invitation alone was, to me, a big deal. We were a family of six—Richie the mailman, his wife, and four daughters. Six black people invited to the home of a white family that lived in an all-white neighborhood. I don’t remember how we got there. Our family did not own a car. I suppose we took public transportation. I don’t remember what was served or the names of the host and hostess. But a few things about that evening I will never forget.
My sisters and I were on our best behavior. Smile. Say, “Please and thank you.” No elbows on the table. Speak when spoken to. Stay in a child’s place. Don’t embarrass me. All the usual instructions heard from a mother in the 1960’s.
At one point during dinner I looked over at one of my sisters, who seemed to be on the verge of tears. Her sad brown eyes silently begged, “Please, help me!” I felt her pain but remained clueless as to her predicament. Finally, reluctantly, she leaned towards our mother and whispered. Mom flushed, looking both anxious and annoyed. Uh-oh, is she about to be embarrassed?
It was my sister’s time of the month. Despite being on her best behavior, she sat there bleeding onto this woman’s velvet-cushioned dining room chair. My mother politely asked to use the restroom and all three, my mother, sister, and lady of the house quickly disappeared upstairs.
While gone from the table my mother must have shared what happened because when the hostess returned she walked to my sister’s chair and with a deft hand, turned over the cushion and sat down on it, all smiles and continued conversation. That is my earliest and most vivid recollection of grace in action.
The word grace is mentioned 170 times in the King James Version Bible. Strong’s Concordance defines grace as: the merciful kindness by which God, exerting his holy influence upon souls, turns them to Christ, keeps, strengthens, increases them in Christian faith, knowledge, affection, and kindles them to the exercise of the Christian virtues.
Grace, like love, covers over the painful predicaments of another and restores them to an even better state. “Dear brothers and sisters, if another believer is overcome by some sin, you who are godly should gently and humbly help that person back onto the right path. And be careful not to fall into the same temptation yourself. Share each other’s burdens, and in this way obey the law of Christ” (Gal. 6:1-2 NLT).
Without knowing it, this woman taught me what grace should look like in the life of a believer. She covered over my sister’s painful predicament without calling attention to it and then, literally, put herself in my sister’s place. All smiles and continued fellowship around the table.
That’s what Jesus did—He took our place, covered our sins, removed our shame, and restored us to right standing and fellowship with the Father. He now commands His followers, “Go and do likewise” (Luke 10:37b NKJV).