Together, grace, mercy and peace form a powerful trio that can help us navigate the challenges of life. Born and raised in the Mississippi Delta, I grew up listening to The Mississippi Mass Choir (iykyk). They would always sing a little bop that went a lil something like this…
“Your grace and mercy brought me through. I’m living this moment because of You. I want to thank you and praise you too. Your grace and mercy brought me through.”
As a child, I was not here for slow church songs. They just seemed so sad, plus I was the kid that wanted to do a lil bounce while sanging at church. But this song was different. I could not put my finger on it back then, but now these words resonate heavy heavy. If you’re ready, *cues Trey Songz* I’m about to diiiiivvvveeee in. Okay, that mighta gone from saved to secular too quickly. Yall know I love to sing a good song and you get a little of that in These Are My Confessions, but I’m back now.
Grace, mercy, and peace are three concepts that are deeply rooted in many religious traditions and are often cited in the scriptures of various faiths. Let’s take a closer look at these and their significance in the Bible.
Grace
Grace is a gift given to us by God, even though we do not deserve it. And guess what, it is Free.99 (Ayyyeeee). Ephesians 2:8-9 puts it like this, “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith – and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God – not by works, so that no one can boast.” This reminds me that we are saved by God’s grace and not by anything we have done or could do on our own. Thank God for that, because if it were left up to what I can do on my own, whew chillay, I would be SOL.
Mercy
Now, mercy is also an important concept in the Bible. In Matthew 5:7, Jesus says, “Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy.” This teaches us that we should show compassion and kindness to others, even when, they do not deserve it. By doing so, we will receive mercy ourselves. And baybee, I have too many stories that start with “That one time in DC,” where it was nothing but God’s mercy that kept me here. We may get into some of these stories in later posts, but for now just know it was a tiiiiimmmme. But had it not been for the mercy of God, my friends and I may not be here to tell the stories.
Peace
Lastly, peace is a state of being that is often mentioned in the Bible. And by often, I am talking over 300 times. Anything that is talked about this much is clearly something the authors want to get through our noggins (I’m truly an old soul, cause who says noggin). In John 14:27, Jesus says, “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.” This verse reminds us that we can find peace in Christ, even during difficult circumstances, and that we should not be afraid or anxious. Easier said than done right, but remember true peace is only found in Him, so if you’re not seeking Him, what is you doin lil baby?
When we experience grace, we are reminded that we are loved and valued by God. When we show mercy to others, we can extend kindness and compassion, even when it is difficult. And when we experience peace, we are able to find calm and contentment, even in the midst of chaos.
As believers, we are called to embrace these concepts and live them out in our daily lives. We should be leading by example, ya feel me?! By doing so, we can experience a deeper connection with God and with others and find meaning and purpose in our lives.
That’s It. That’s All Yall.
J. Bai
Leave a Reply