Facets of Faith

Conversations about life, faith, and friendship.

  • About Us
  • Blog
  • Bio’s
  • Contact Us

God is…Gracious!

11.13.2018 by Jennifer Howe //

This month the FACETS are thinking about the character of God, the precious attributes revealing facets of Almighty God to us. Tracy wrote on God’s faithfulness here. Visit next Tuesday to find out which attribute Kim chose. Finally, we have a guest sharing the following Tuesday. I love each writer’s choice and voice. I hope you will, too.

The most precious attribute of God is: Gracious (J. Howe)

Then the Lord passed in front of him [Moses] and proclaimed: Yahweh—Yahweh is a compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger and rich in faithful love and truth Exodus 34:6 CSB

Sweet friend, can I be honest for a pair of minutes? I need grace. I need more of it than the average Jo, no lie. Some days I’m more sensitive to my failings and have to admit Paul’s words both pierce and offer healing balm to my soul:

But God had mercy on me so that Christ Jesus could use me as a prime example of his great patience with even the worst sinners. Then others will realize that they, too, can believe in him and receive eternal life. 1 Timothy 1:16 NLT

I’m a writer who lives in a world of words. Those same words are weapons I draw on a terrible, horrible, no-good day. Anyone can dip into “strengths” for the wrong reasons or intent, right? Then an insidious whisper hisses, “Jesus can’t love me. I’ve messed up too much. I’m disqualified. Again.” The voice of the liar gets in my head, sometimes my heart, too often. Maybe you’ve heard the voice with an accusation. It can crush us if we’re not careful to make intentional choices.

Accept the gift of grace. A precious gift was given. We see it in John 3:16-17—

“For God so loved the world that he gave his only and unique Son, so that everyone who trusts in him may have eternal life, instead of being utterly destroyed. For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but rather so that through him, the world might be saved… CJB

The Son, Jesus, came for a purpose. He came to represent the Father and us—to fix the gap between holiness and humanity. He was both God and man, all on a rescue mission for us, who could do nothing about the problem on our own. Since we couldn’t earn it and don’t deserve it, that’s grace! Jesus is the display of God’s gracious character on our behalf. I just love that. And I desperately need it! (You too?)

Once upon a time, I made an intentional decision. I wanted that. I wasn’t clear on how it the gift of grace happened, but I knew I wanted it, and I asked wholeheartedly. I was a beggar doing what beggars do. Sometimes when you have a need, you ask…and ask…and ask again. I needed some kind of do-over. The Good Father meets the need through Jesus. The Father’s child knows to come, ask, and shelter in the Father’s house. Then the child becomes an heir to the inheritance, in this case, beautiful grace!

Be willing to accept the gift and accept what He says. The gift of grace is for you, through Jesus’ death and resurrection. Whatever you do, hang on to that truth with all you’ve got. Grasp it like your life depends on it. Never let go! This is daily acceptance or rejection of truth, in my experience. We choose daily, friend; let’s choose well.

Beware the lies! The enemy of our souls wants nothing more than to destroy any hope, truth, or connection to our Father through the Son. So he strews a path of lies to obscure the way. Root out the lies by comparing the voice you hear to the Bible. When the voice matches the Word of God in good context, you can rest in the truth. When lies come, you’ll see them for what they are.

Let’s allow God to love us through words in Scripture. Let’s be loved. Then we can love others.

Remember my struggle with word weapons? Some conviction is truth mixed with lies. It’s true my words must become increasingly filled with truth and love and grace (because God’s people become more like the character of God). But there is no shame with truth because “no condemnation now exists for those in Christ Jesus” (Romans 8:1). There’s a chasm of difference between Holy Spirit’s whisper of conviction to repent and the shame-filled hiss of the enemy. One leads to freedom; the other spirals into a trap.

Practice receiving the gift of grace. The longer we’ve listened to the hiss, the more difficult it may be to meet it with truth. We need to sit with Scripture, wash the mind with it, and counter the lies with truth. That takes time, repetition, and practice!

It’s a choice to receive grace. If we choose not to receive it, we land in a pit of pride. We isolate and insulate. In my experience isolation leads to anger, frustration, and sadness. Hope is absent. That’s a choice—but not a life I want. (None of us wants that.)

I practice receiving truth and love by spending time with Him throughout the day. I read what He has to say. I want to talk to Him often. Good habits to cultivate, for sure, but the relationship doesn’t rest on some fuel I generate through effort (it would for sure fall flat!).

Grace is a gift created and given by the giver. We can’t earn or deserve it. Because He is compassionate and gracious, His gift is always more than we can think or imagine. Think of how lavish that is!

Grace. I’m thankful for enduring grace! Now I want to respond in love to Him for that amazing gift—I want to live differently because grace leads to repentance…and fierce and fiery love for Him and others.

Which attribute is precious to you? We all want to know. Share in the comments below or at our Facebook Page.

Signature, Jennifer Howe

Share this:

  • Pinterest
  • Twitter
  • LinkedIn
  • Print
  • More
  • Facebook

Categories // Faith, Jennifer Howe's Perspective, Precious Attributes of God Tags // 1 Timothy 1:16, Exodus 34:6, Facets of Faith, Faith, Grace, Jennifer J Howe, John 3:16-17, Lies we believe, Receiving grace, truth

Search this website

Subscribe

* indicates required

FACETS is on Social Media!

  • Facebook
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter

Recent Posts

  • Blessings—as You Go…
  • The Blessing of Knowing God
  • The Blessing and the Battle
  • January 2021: The Blessing
  • A Weary World Rejoices: Pondering and Remembering

Recent Comments

  • The Blessing of Knowing God – Facets of Faith on The Blessing and the Battle
  • Maryfrances on The Blessing and the Battle
  • The Blessing and the Battle – Facets of Faith on January 2021: The Blessing
  • Reawakening the Invitation to Dream – Facets of Faith on The Trinity: Intimately Knowing & Growing
  • Rudy Euceda on Finding Jesus Next to Me

Archives

  • February 2021
  • January 2021
  • December 2020
  • November 2020
  • October 2020
  • September 2020
  • August 2020
  • July 2020
  • June 2020
  • May 2020
  • April 2020
  • March 2020
  • February 2020
  • January 2020
  • December 2019
  • November 2019
  • October 2019
  • September 2019
  • August 2019
  • July 2019
  • June 2019
  • May 2019
  • April 2019
  • March 2019
  • February 2019
  • January 2019
  • December 2018
  • November 2018
  • October 2018
  • September 2018
  • August 2018
  • July 2018
  • June 2018
  • May 2018
  • April 2018
  • March 2018
  • February 2018
  • January 2018
  • December 2017
  • November 2017
  • October 2017
  • September 2017
  • August 2017
  • July 2017
  • June 2017
  • May 2017
  • April 2017
  • March 2017
  • February 2017
  • January 2017
  • December 2016
  • November 2016
  • October 2016
  • September 2016
  • August 2016
  • July 2016
  • June 2016
  • May 2016
  • April 2016
  • March 2016
  • February 2016
  • January 2015

Categories

  • A Weary World Rejoices
  • Blooming in Marriage
  • Changes
  • Connection Before Correction
  • Desperate for God to Do?
  • Difficult People
  • Do They Know They Are Loved?
  • Do They Know They Are Loved?
  • Do You Believe God?
  • Do You Give Her the Royal Treatment?
  • Do You Kow You Are…
  • Do You See What I See
  • Expecting the Unexpected
  • Faith
  • Finding Family
  • Forgiveness
  • Freedom
  • Freedom on the Road to Calling
  • Friendship
  • Going Through Change
  • Going Through the Change
  • Guest Perspectives
  • How Do You See 2020?
  • How does God respond to me?
  • How Does Prayer Fuel Hope?
  • How Does the Enemy Try to Silence You?
  • How to Love When It's Hard
  • Intimacy
  • Jennifer Howe's Perspective
  • Joy/Humor
  • Kim Findlay's Perspective
  • Life
  • Life Lessons
  • Life Liberty and the Pursuit of Surrender
  • Mama Guilt
  • Megan Abbott's Perspective
  • Perspective
  • Precious Attributes of God
  • Resurrection Power
  • Safe to be Really Me?
  • Say No
  • Say Yes
  • Singing in April's Showers
  • Spring Forward with God
  • Thankfulness: How do we serve?
  • The Blessing
  • The Blessing: January 2021
  • The Do Over
  • The FACETS Team
  • The Lion the Lamb and the Mirror
  • The Story of Christmas
  • The Trinity: Intimately knowing and growing
  • Thelma! Who's Your Louise?
  • Tracy Stella's Perspective
  • Trusting God When Afraid
  • Truth and Denial
  • Turning Little into Much
  • Uncategorized
  • What are You Going Back to?
  • What Do I Have to Offer
  • What Do You Do for Fun?
  • What Do You Dream About?
  • What has God rescued you from?
  • Who Burnt My Turkey?
  • Who Do You Love?
  • Who Do You Say I Am?
  • Woman of God?

© 2025 · Facets of Faith · Built on the Genesis Framework