Recently, I started to lose hope in one area of my life.

I didn’t see it coming; it’s not like I’ve been completely neglecting that part of my life. But my attitude towards it had become a bit… disengaged. My heart had hardened… just a little.

But a little was all it took.

Fortunately, I spoke to someone truthfully and told them about my negative attitude. You see, God had called me to do something that I just didn’t want to do. I looked around and I couldn’t see any other people having to go through what I was going through! Have you ever done that?

I began to think that part of my life was “unfair!” Unfair that I should suffer and pay a huge price, while others didn’t.

But then God spoke to me about grace.

When I think about grace, I first think of this bible passage, written by Paul:

But [God] said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.

1 Corinthians 12:9, NIV

As I read the above, I hear God saying: “my grace is abundant for you, Beth. My grace covers you, even in your weaknesses.”

Even when I can’t do something; God can do everything.

When I can’t do something that I am called to, God – in His power – promises to be my strength. He steps in and He does something I cannot.

If almighty, powerful, creator-of-all-things God steps in… you can bet the outcome is going to be wonderful. Really, really, supernaturally wonderful.

Maybe you are in a little rut. A part of your life seems stale. A part that, deep down, you know God has called you to.

Maybe you want to quit just one thing.

But what if I told you that you were about to walk away from a miracle?

What if I told you that – if you stuck around –  you would see the very tangible, visible work of God, in action?

I’ve had this verse in my head, all week:

So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.

2 Corinthians 4:18, NIV.

How much of your life do you spend focusing on what is seen?

Earlier this week – when I was complaining about that one area of my life – I was literally focusing on all the negative. I was saying things like: “I’ve seen other people have really shiny, fabulous amazing situations. But when you look at my lot… I feel so disheartened”

Simply put, I was focusing on what was seen. I wasn’t expecting God’s amazing grace to step in. I wasn’t getting excited for the miracle that is going to happen. I was fixing my eyes on temporary. I was getting my case together, trying to convince God to let me walk away from this one, small thing!

When I reflect on my actions this week, it seems I completely lost sight of how amazing grace actually is.

So, I spent some time yesterday asking Him about grace. He said: “grace covers you. Grace is getting what you don’t deserve. Mercy is not getting the punishment you do deserve. Grace covers you.”

It is funny, isn’t it? If I was covered in honey, I wouldn’t miss it! But I am covered in grace and I don’t even realise.

It’s like walking through the duty free section in an airport. Everything is fancy and shiny in duty free. I usually walk past that part of an airport as quickly as possible! Why? Because I don’t carry enough money for pre-flight perfume! All of the duty-free shine makes me feel dull and a little out of place.

But… what if I am walking past the grace that God has given me?

What if I’m writing parts of my life off as ‘dull,’ just as God is getting ready to cover them in his sparkly glory?

What if I am made for the wonderful and the amazing?

What if I am discounting the expensive part of life that is called grace?

Jesus didn’t just pay the price for our sin; He bought each of us a full and abundant life.

He bought us the expensive stuff; we don’t need to walk past it!

It’s time you and I stopped ignoring grace.

It’s time to embrace this unseen glory – a glory that belongs to God. This week I have 3 challenges for us:

1. Take off the tunnel vision.

My husband and I watch a lot of house renovation programmes. A lot of posh houses are built with what I am going to call a ‘window wall.’ A wall that is made up of glass. Architects design houses this way, in order to focus on a specific landscape or garden. For example, I was watching an episode of ‘George Clarke’s Amazing Spaces’ on which host George visited a house, which was designed entirely around one framed landscape of the sea.

The problem with these ‘window walls’ is that they don’t give you a 360 degree view. People don’t often build their entire house of glass – just one feature wall.  One view.

I feel like God is telling you and I to stop looking at one part of the scenery. Stop looking through one pane of glass; instead get outside.

In other words, if you are constantly looking at the negative – now is the time to stop.

Take a moment to ask God where you have had tunnel vision. Where have you become a little bit moany? Ask the Holy Spirit to highlight that to you.

2. Look around.

Once you’ve stopped looking through the glass pane, it is time to get outside and look around.

What grace is God trying to give to you that you are ignoring?

When I asked God the above question I realised that I could bless a future generation, by staying obedient to what God has called me to do. If I do what I am called to, without counting the cost, I can set someone else up to win.

Does what you are doing now bless a future generation that you haven’t seen?

Maybe something feels tricky in the short term; but in the long term, will it bear fruit for people you don’t know? Will it bless your children’s children? Think on such things.

3. Get on your knees.

Once you’ve started to see God’s grace, get on your knees and pray.

For me, when I realised that being obedient could change things for a future generation – I got excited. I picked up a book on prayer and I felt God calling me to be bold and ask for wonderful things. It is time you did the same.

Ask God to give you that grace you’ve been ignoring. Ask God – in His power – to move quickly in that area of your life.

Surrender your will and expectations and pray for more of Him. Pray for adventure and meaning; a life that’s more about His plans than yours.

If you are stuck – ask God to show you what to pray. Whatever He says just thank Him for. Thank Him for His promises, as if they have already happened. Even if they are realistically years off!

Conclusion

It is so easy to gradually become sour and hopeless, in any given situation. But what if that one stale part of your life, was never meant to be stale? What if you are making things harder for yourself? What if you are about to walk away from a miracle?

Allow God to speak to you about His grace. Allow Him to fill you with excitement for His unseen miracles. Why not follow my 3-step challenge, this week?

Let God show you His glory grace. And get excited. Because something supernaturally wonderful is about to happen, if you just hold on.