WHEN GRACE FEELS HARD TO GIVE

“And of his fulness have all we received, and grace for grace” – John 1:16

Grace is one of those words that we utter with ease and rejoice at the abundance of grace received. Though if I’m being honest, giving grace doesn’t always come easy to me. I know how freely God pours out grace- how much I’ve needed and still do daily. Still, when it comes to giving grace, it feels like lifting a weight far too heavy for me to bear.

I’ve held on to feelings of rejection and disappointment far too long. I replay scenarios where I’ve felt hurt or have gone out of my way to avoid the confrontation. In those moments, I am filled with shame and even disappointment in myself. But then something beautiful happens, and a whisper reminds me that I am kept. He gives me grace upon grace.

Reflecting Grace

In my quiet moments with the Lord, He doesn’t scold me for falling short or struggling. He holds a reflection of His mercy as a reminder of who He is. When I have turned my back, He has never left. When I fell short or simply failed, His grace has always found me. It is not something that is earned or even deserved, but something given freely because of the love the Lord has for us.

And that is when it hits the hardest – how can I withhold from others what I receive so lavishly every day?

It’s not about ignoring what has happened or dismissing the feelings from it. It is choosing to surrender it to God because He is the only one who can truly heal it. It is allowing His love to unharden your heart.

The Transformation

The more you open yourself to acknowledge the moments you receive His grace, the more it causes you to change.

You become free of resentment and pettiness.

That prideful voice begins to fade away.

And eventually, you begin to give just as freely in areas that you never thought you could.

Grace isn’t something we build ourselves up to give. It’s something that begins to flow the closer we stay to Christ.

Remember: You don’t have to be perfect at giving grace. You just have to be willing to receive it—and let it transform you.

Because when we live from the overflow of God’s grace, even our hardest relationships become opportunities to reflect His love.

This week, acknowledge the moments where you receive God’s grace and look for ways you can give grace to others as He has given it to you.