“Infuse your life with action. Don’t wait for it to happen. Make it happen. Make your own future. Make your own hope. Make your own love. And whatever your beliefs, honor your creator, not by passively waiting for grace to come down from upon high, but by doing what you can to make grace happen… yourself, right now, right down here on Earth.”
—Bradley Whitford
How do you make grace happen?
The Biblical meaning of the word “grace” seems to allude to the assistance of divine intervention given freely by a creator or the Christian God. I have never considered that I am a recipient of grace; however, I do know that I have received benefits granted to me over which I had no control. There is a spirit of grace that allows a person to know of and accept this gift of unexpected value. During one’s life, this can happen frequently or only at certain times. I hope that when it is falling onto me by an unknown force that I can recognize it and accept it with grace as it is given and received.
I’m really confused about this. Wiktionary gives three definitions for “grace” that could be used theologically: “Free and undeserved favour, especially of God. Unmerited divine assistance given to humans for their regeneration or sanctification,” “Divine assistance in resisting sin,” and “Short prayer of thanks before or after a meal.” According to the first, the whole point of grace seems to be that it’s out of our control, that it is a gift freely given without us having done anything to get it. I suppose one could try to resist sin alone (and in fact, I do do this), but that doesn’t mean grace is going to happen: once again, it’s out of our control. On the other hand, the third definition seems to be purely in our hands, needing nothing from any kind of Divine being/force. I don’t personally say grace. I’ve considered it, but I eat at least 2/3 meals with my family, and they would feel very, very uncomfortable if I did so.