I am alive today because of God’s grace. The sun came up this morning because of God’s grace. The stars were out last night because of God’s grace. The breath I’m drawing into my lungs right now is because of God’s grace. Whatever health I enjoy right now, I enjoy because of God’s grace. I am forgiven of the sins I committed since I got up this morning because of God’s grace. I am forgiven of the sins I will commit today that I don’t even know about, because of God’s grace. I open God’s word today because God’s grace has given it to me. I can pray — I can have access to God’s presence right now — because of God’s grace. The birds are singing outside because of God’s grace. The car will start this morning because of God’s grace, and if it doesn’t, it will be God’s grace because of what it will teach me. There are a thousand natural and supernatural benefits we enjoy every day because of God’s grace. Most, if not all, of these phenomena go by unnoticed on a typical day.

What might happen if we noticed them? What if we were more aware of the grace of God? We’d be more thankful. We’d be more humble. We’d be more aware of what God was doing in the world. We’d be more aware of the needs of those around us. We’d be more aware of the power of the Spirit available to us. And in turn, God’s grace would be pouring out of our lives.

Jesus told a parable of a guy who had a huge debt forgiven and promptly proceeded to put the screws on the next guy who owed him money, and we conclude that he had no grace to give because he had not received any grace. But wait. He did receive God’s grace — he got his debt forgiven — he just did not see it as God’s grace. Maybe he thought he was just lucky, or maybe he had convinced himself that he somehow deserved his forgiveness. In the same way, a person can live under a thousand evidences of God’s grace and not see even one of them as God’s grace, and that person would have no grace to turn outward to anyone else. It all depends on what you see — what you are aware of.

We are living under a thousand of God’s graces every day. We depend on His forgiveness and His love. We are empowered by His Spirit. Open your eyes. For every one of those graces, there is grace to turn outward to those around you.