The Power of Grace

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In all my years of loving a prodigal and seeking to help others love their prodigal, one word has been the key, the difference, the change agent: GRACE

Early in my journey with my prodigal, God gave me a guiding word. He said, “When you make mistakes with this boy, and you will, (and I did), make them on the side of grace.”

If I had a theme verse, this would be it: “Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.” (Hebrews 4:16)

Let me try to convey the meaning and magnitude of this word, as it reveals God and His involvement in our lives and the lives of those we are praying for.

We are blessed as we come to Him, for our need is great, deep and ongoing.  Thus we have a means to discover the reality of God’s grace in the intense crucible and classroom of our lives with our prodigals.

So what is GRACE?

In the dictionary, it is defined with words such as favor, goodwill, kindness, forgiveness, charity, love, mercy, clemency, pardon, leniency, reprieve. Sometimes seeing the antonyms also helps us understand meaning:  animosity, enmity, disfavor, harshness, disrespect, dishonor.

We gain much greater insight into God’s definition of GRACE from the Greek lexicon. The Greek word for GRACE is CHARIS, which has the same root as words for joy, thanks and gift.  Here are some definitions and descriptions: That which affords joy, pleasure, delight, sweetness, charm, loveliness.

Of speech: goodwill, loving-kindness. Favor of merciful kindness by which God, exerting His holy influence upon souls, turns them to Christ, strengthens them, increases them in faith, knowledge, affection, and kindles them to the exercise of Christian virtues.

Gifts of grace: beneful bounty, recompense, reward, resulting in thanks and gratitude

A few of the gifts Scripture tells us have been bestowed on us by the grace of God, delivered by the Lord Jesus and continually poured out on us and in us by the Holy Spirit: Sufficiency for every need. Redemption. Incomparable riches. Encouragement. Strength Growth

Okay. Do you get the picture? Grace is a gift of overflowing abundance.

So as we find ourselves on our knees/on our faces on behalf of our own prodigals and thousands of others, may the GRACE of the Lord Jesus Christ be poured out on us and through us abundantly.

So let’s take a look at grace in action.

.If you have a prodigal, you know this story.  It’s called the Story of the Prodigal Son, but most of us have learned it is about two prodigal sons—the younger and the elder.  But really it’s about The Grace-full Father. (It is found in Luke 15:11-31) Let me give us a little synopsis, then some personalization and application.

 Here’s what the son did:

He shamed his father by asking for his inheritance—which is equal to wishing him to be dead. He took a significant portion of his father’s livelihood. He sinned extravagantly—which is the real meaning of “prodigal.” He squandered all of it with wild living. Then he despaired, repented and returned.

Here’s what the father did:

He gave him his inheritance. He let him go. He watched and waited (and I imagine he prayed).When he saw him coming, he ran to him, embraced him, kissed him. He didn’t let the son make his apology. Instead he embraced him, put a robe and a ring on him, threw a party for him. He reinstated him in the family. Does this make sense?  NO!!  Did the son deserve such grace?  NO!!

Here’s what I have done:

I could make a long list of my sins—all the usual ones, generally not the “big” ones. I have sought to follow Him, obey Him, live and love like Jesus.  And too often I have failed. I have disobeyed, shamed, dishonored, abandoned, misused…my heavenly Father and His generous gifts of grace.

Here’s what my heavenly Father has done:

He created me in His image, for definite purposes. He has pursued me, purchased me, redeemed me, reconciled me, forgiven me. He adopted me as His very own loved daughter. He invited me into His presence, talked with me, enjoyed me.  He welcomed me back over and over. He extended amazing grace to me. Does this make sense?  NO!   Do I deserve such grace? NO!NO!

Here’s what my prodigal has done:

He has done many prodigal things: lied, stolen, disrespected us. He’s used and abused alcohol, drugs, girls, our home. He went through 17 cars in five years. He spent time in JDC and in jail. Okay I will stop.  Those cover most of the big things.

Here’s what I have done in response:

I established boundaries, enforced consequences, helped him to move out. I got counseling—for him and us, sought advice, listened, pleaded, preached. I bailed him out—once. I have paid for more than I should have. I have prayed.  And prayed.  And prayed. I welcomed him back, encouraged him, home schooled him, promoted his work efforts. I have mostly loved and extended grace. I have done some things well, other things not well at all. Does he deserve the grace given over and over?  NO! Was I right to give grace?  I think so.

This picture is a contrast. We are told to be tough, make them pay the price for their wrong choices. That is a picture of pushing away, rejecting, condemning.

But the Father, and our Father, runs to him, to us, encircles in loving arms, welcomes back, throws a party. Believes the best.

Yes, yes. We—and they-- need boundaries and consequences. But always with welcoming, loving arms. We err on the side of grace, as God has done for us.

So now it’s your turn.

Put yourself in the picture. with your loved prodigal. And with your loving God.

How might we learn to help them learn by starting with a grace foot forward?

c 204 Judy Douglass