“My Grace is sufficient for thee: for My strength is made perfect in weakness.” — 2 Corinthians 12:9 (KJV)
Some days we ask God for grace like it’s one single thing, one bucket we keep dipping into. But grace has layers. There’s grace God gives to the whole world, to people who praise Him and to people who ignore Him. There’s grace God gives to keep you standing when your knees feel weak. There’s grace God gives to help you do what you can’t do alone. Common grace. Sustaining grace. Enabling grace. Three movements of the same faithful God, meeting us in life from three directions: around us, under us, and within.
This week, I found myself noticing grace in places I usually rush past. I saw it outside first: the sky doing what it always does. The sun rising like it was assigned to keep its appointment. The world still receiving mercy, even with all of its mess. I thought, Lord, You are good to everyone. Even when we don’t deserve it. That’s common grace, God’s kindness spread wide.
I came inside and I felt the weight of my own day. The responsibilities weren’t poetic. They were real: errands, calls, family needs, deadlines, a body that gets tired, a mind that can get overwhelmed. I whispered what I’ve whispered more than once: “Lord, I am tired, I don’t know if I have enough for today." Right there, in the middle of my ordinary life I realized I was meeting a different kind of grace. Not sunshine for everyone grace, but that hold me up grace. That sustaining grace, the quiet strength of God that keeps you from falling apart.
Then came the moment that always reveals what I’m truly made of. I had an interaction that tested my patience. A situation that tempted my tone. A moment where I had a choice to react in my flesh or respond in the Spirit. I felt a pause… a holy restraint… a gentle power that didn’t feel like me. That was enabling grace. God working through me, giving me the ability to do what my natural self would resist.
In one day, I saw God's Grace in three different ways.Grace around me, Grace under me, and Grace within me. Grace is what it takes to keep a garden alive: sky, soil, and sap.
Common grace is the sun and rain that fall over the whole neighborhood. Some gardens are cared for. Some are neglected. But the sky still gives, light still comes, rain still falls. That’s God’s goodness spread wide.
Sustaining grace is the soil that holds the roots. When the wind kicks up and the heat dries things out, the soil keeps the plant anchored. It keeps it from tipping over. That’s God holding you steady when life shakes you.
Enabling grace is the sap rising inside the plant. It's the hidden strength that helps it to grow, bloom, and bear fruit. You can’t see sap working, but you can see the results: new leaves, stronger stems, fruit that wasn’t there before. That’s God empowering you to live differently from the inside out.
Same garden. Same God. It's grace over you, grace under you, grace within you. His Grace is good to all, strong for you, and working through you.
This week try to live with a “grace awareness”. Receive common grace with gratitude. Stop calling mercy “normal.” Name it. Thank God for breath, provision, protection, and those little joys.Lean on sustaining grace when you feel weak. Instead of pretending you’re fine, pray honestly: “Lord, hold me up. Be my strength today.” Don't be afraid to ask for enabling grace before the moment tests you. Pray ahead of time: “Lord, enable my patience. Enable my discipline. Enable my forgiveness. Enable my mouth.” Grace isn’t only what forgives you. Grace is what keeps you and helps you.
Prayer:
Father, thank You for grace in every form. Thank You for common grace. Your kindness that covers the world and reminds me You are still good. Thank You for sustaining grace. Your strength that holds me up when my strength runs low. Thank You for enabling grace. Your power at work in me, helping me do what I cannot do on my own.
Open my eyes to Your mercy around me. Strengthen my heart with Your support beneath me. Fill my life with Your Spirit within me. Today, I receive what You provide and I trust You to meet me in my every moment.
In Jesus’ name,
Amen.
God is good to all: common grace surrounds me. God is strength for me: sustaining grace holds me. God works through me: enabling grace empowers me.
