The Gift of Grace

Let us... come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need. -Hebrews 4:16-

In the Bible Dictionary, grace is defined as "divine means of help or strength" given through the "bounteous mercy and love of Jesus Christ" ("Grace," 697). This gift of divine strength enables you to do more than you would be able to do if left on your own. The Savior will do for you what you cannot do for yourself. His grace is the means by which you can repent and be changed. In what ways have you felt the gift of grace in your life?

When I am concentrating on being better he helps me to do so. One of the major ways he has helped me is by allowing me to run on less sleep. I used to sleep in until after 6 AM, giving myself just enough time to get breakfast, make lunch and be dressed before it was time for me to start my commute. Now, most days I have been getting up at five o'clock, five-thirty at the latest, so that I have time to work on my recovery, before the boys are up. My wife and I have also had some pretty late nights, discussing the differences and difficulties we are having. I have gotten into the habit of taking a power nap over my lunch break, but overall, I am getting quite a bit less sleep than I have in the past. Despite that, I have been able to accomplish the things I need to during my day.

Since restarting recovery, I also think that I have been tempted less often, or less strongly. In truth, I think I have been given an added measure of strength to overcome my triggers. This is very helpful when it comes to staying sober. Not having the same struggles I have in the past has allowed me to concentrate more on developing better habits than on white-knuckling through the next temptation. I can work on changing my heart.

How can the gift of divine strength enable you to maintain continuous recovery?

Through Christ, I can continually overcome the temptations that come my way. He does not take all the temptations away, but he will give me the strength to overcome them. Yesterday, I was reminded of something I really need to do, when the triggers come along. Both at stake conference as well as in Clean Hands, Pure Heart, it was mentioned that in times of temptation. I need to pray. In the past, I have focused on humming or singing a hymn, or reciting a memorized scripture verse. I have learned since that over time those coping mechanisms can loose their potency, or even become triggers of their own. I don't think prayer is the same, as is should be an active conversation with my father in heaven.

As I pray, Christ will give me the strength I need to overcome the problem at hand. Does that mean it will be easy? No. It does mean it will be possible. Grace is about giving me that last boost, after I have done all that I can. It is not about giving me a free ride. Thus, as I focus on sobriety and recovery, grace gives me the strength to achieve that goal. If, however, I do not place my focus where it needs to be, the grace will no longer have hold. Sure, I might stay sober for a while, but without the grace, I will eventually fall.

~Sean~