DON'T WASTE GOD'S GRACE 

 But by the grace of God I am what I am: and His grace which was bestowed upon me was not in vain; but I laboured more abundantly than they all: yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me.  (1 Corinthians 15:10)

I have heard various definitions for grace over the years, however I choose to use the simple statement that grace is "God's unmerited favor."  The key word there is "unmerited."  God does things for us that we have not earned, nor do we deserve.  He forgives us for our sins, and He blesses us in spite of ourselves.  All of us have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God.  Yet we have all benefited from God's grace.  One of my favorite hymns is "Amazing Grace."  It begins with:  "Amazing Grace how sweet the sound, that saved a wretch like me."  If truth is told, all of us have been wretches at some time in our lives.  But God's grace saved us.  His unmerited favor gave us another chance to get things right.

The question is: how will we respond to the unmerited favor that God has directed toward us? In the passage above, the Apostle Paul tells the Corinthians that the grace bestowed upon him was not in vain.  He was not wasting it.  Because of God's grace, Paul was working harder than others because he realized he was most appreciative of it.

Are we doing our best to show God that we appreciate His grace?  Have we changed our lifestyles in a way that He would be pleased.  Are we working harder than ever to serve in the Kingdom of God?   If not, we may be "wasting the grace" that God has bestowed on us..

As much as I can, I intend to take advantage of the numerous opportunities that God's grace has afforded me. I hope that you will do so as well.