Give Me the Grace to Do as You Command

I recently came across this quote from Augustine and it hit me. How I wish to live a life of faith and obedience as depicted here:

Is this not what it means to be a Christian? What a powerful prayer for us to consider! There is nothing that we can do in this life without grace. And I love that Augustine starts this quote with asking for it. The grace that we receive allows us to go forward and live out our calling as Christians. On the days where we struggle to get out of bed, grace is the thing that motivates us. On the days where we are super on fire for doing the work of God, grace is what enables us to go the extra mile.

It’s all about grace!

There’s nothing that we can do on our own. God’s help isn’t just something that’s nice to have while we are on our pursuit of our own ambitions. It is essential to walking in His ways! We know at the end of the day that God is the one working through us anyways. Paul says in Philippians 2:13, “For it is God who works in you to will and to act according to His good purpose.”

This brings us to an age-old theological question about free will and God’s plans: Are we really free to do what we want, or does God control everything? The answer lies somewhere in the middle. We aren’t just robots to be controlled, yet we’re also not entirely on our own. We have freedom - freedom to choose God’s way, not because we are forced to but because we want to.

We often times have all of these grand plans for our lives, and that is a good thing, but it’s ultimately God who directs our steps. (Proverbs 16:9)

Now, when we live in grace we desire to live according to God’s commands. Yet, His commands aren’t about Him bossing us around. They are about showing us how to live our best lives according to His purposes. Jesus said in John 14:15, “If you love me, you will keep my commands.” This idea of obedience from God’s people always follows grace.

His command to love comes as an expression of love, not as an act of coercion! Keeping His commands flows from grace. It’s a positive, relationship building aspect of our faith. It’s how we grow closer to Him!

When you don’t know how God is calling you to build His kingdom, start with this prayer from Augustine: “God, give me grace - grace to build as You would have me build…and grace to build according to Your will.”

To God be the glory!

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I pray that your day is full of reminders of God’s love and faithfulness. May you faithfully build your life on Christ.

“But He 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. That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in my weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.” - 2 Corinthians 12:9-10

To God be the glory,

Coach T