There are some days where I feel God is trying desperately to get a message through my thick skull. Yesterday seemed to be one of those days.

I was listening to the songs that my friends and I will be singing at the opening of the GloryReelz Christian Film Festival next Friday evening. The two songs that Jeff Street had chosen came on and made me take pause.

The first was “One Thing Remains” by Jesus Culture

Higher than the mountains that I face
Stronger than the power of the grave
Constant through the trial and the change
One thing… Remains

Your love never fails, never gives up
Never runs out on me

I thought about how these songs inspire us, lift our hearts, because they are about God’s love for us.

The second was the song “I Am” by Crowder

There’s no space that His love can’t reach
There’s no place that we can’t find peace
There’s no end to Amazing Grace

Take me in with your arms spread wide
Take me in like an orphan child
Never let go, never leave my side.

What is grace? Grace is undeserved favor in someone’s eyes. In God’s eyes.

God’s love never fails. His grace has no end. He never runs out on us. Although we separate ourselves from our Heavenly Father, He still finds it in His heart to take these self-inflicted orphans back into His house, into His arms, into His family. He even gives us refrigerator privileges. These thoughts make Christians feel good about ourselves. The question here is… are we extending that same grace to those around us?

Are we extending it to those who are different from us? How about those who we feel are making poor choices as to their lifestyle? Those who have done wrong, hurt others? Those who we feel justified in passing judgment on?

We need to be reminded constantly of God’s mercy and grace, His unfailing love for us, so that when we fall, when we fail, we know that He will forgive us. God allows us to make poor choices, and learn from the consequences of those choices. God also gave us analytical minds, so that we could learn from our mistakes, and the mistakes of others. Learn, not judge, not condemn.

We all have sin in our lives. If you think you don’t, you may be blind. So, when we look at someone else, choose to see the person, not the percieved flaws or sin. After all, that is what God does for us.