Here’s the thing about God’s grace—it doesn’t wait on you to get your life together. It’s not checking for perfection or waiting for some grand comeback story. Nope. Grace pulls up right in the middle of our messy situations, with no filter and no pretense. It sees the real you—the broken pieces, the stuff you don’t talk about—and still, God’s grace chooses to stay. It doesn’t ask you to earn it. It just shows up. That kind of love and grace humbles you. It meets you right where you are and offers what you didn’t even know you needed.

God’s grace is not just a soft word or a second chance. It’s power. It’s movement. It’s the very heartbeat of the gospel. Ephesians 2:8-9 (NLT) reminds us, “God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it.” That means none of us gets to say we earned it. None of us is standing because we were strong, holy, or wise enough. We’re standing because grace picked us up.

Grace While We’re Still Growing

Some days, it feels like we’re never gonna get it right. We know who God has called us to be, but we still mess up. We snap when we should’ve stayed silent. We doubt when we should’ve trusted, and we run when we should’ve stood firm. It’s frustrating when you feel like you’re stuck between who you used to be and who you’re trying to become.

But here’s the good news: grace doesn’t abandon us when we’re in the middle. It doesn’t roll its eyes or walk away when you stumble. Titus 2:11-12 (NLT) says, “For the grace of God has been revealed, bringing salvation to all people. And we are instructed to turn from godless living and sinful pleasures. We should live in this evil world with wisdom, righteousness, and devotion to God.” That’s the kind of grace we’re working with. Not just the kind that forgives—but the kind that teaches. It stretches us and reminds us that this walk with God is about perfecting us in Christ as we walk out on faith, understanding that we’re still works in progress. Grace says, “I see where you are, but I also see where you’re going.” And it gives us the strength to keep growing with every step we take.

Grace Isn’t a Pass to Stay Stuck—It’s Power to Move Forward

Grace isn’t just a free pass to keep doing what we’ve always done. It’s not some spiritual excuse to stay broken, bound, or stuck in cycles that keep draining us. No, grace is power. It meets us right smack in the middle of our trouble and tribulation, and it doesn’t leave us there. Romans 6:1-2 (NLT) says, “Well then, should we keep on sinning so that God can show us more and more of his wonderful grace? Of course not! Since we have died to sin, how can we continue to live in it?” Real grace challenges us to rise above the sin that keeps us bound. It calls us to walk in what Jesus died to give us. It forgives, yes. But it also empowers.

Titus 2:11-12 (NLT) reminds us that “the grace of God has been revealed, bringing salvation to all people. And we are instructed to turn from godless living and sinful pleasures. We should live in this evil world with wisdom, righteousness, and devotion to God.” Many of us often skip this part. Our Heavenly Father teaches, directs, and strengthens us to walk away from what’s not His best and move forward into wholeness. So if you’re feeling stuck, remember that God’s grace doesn’t say “stay here.” It says, “Get up. I’ve got more for you.” It’s not about pretending to have it all together. It’s about trusting the One who holds us together and gives us the power to become all He created us to be.

When Guilt Tries to Lead

Guilt has a way of creeping in and reminding you of where you fell short, what you should’ve done differently, or how far you still have to go. This is one of the enemy’s tactics to keep us bound, trying to convince us that we’re disqualified from God’s best because of our worst moments. But Romans 5:20 (NLT) says, “But as people sinned more and more, God’s wonderful grace became more abundant.” That means grace doesn’t run out when we mess up—it rises up to meet us.

This doesn’t give us a free pass to live careless. It just reminds us that God’s mercy is serious business. We don’t have to pretend we’ve never been wrong; we just walk forward knowing that even when we are, grace still covers us. Guilt may try to lead, but grace always leads better.

Living Grateful, Not Entitled

Grace should humble us, not puff us up. It’s easy to forget that everything we have—every open door, every second chance, every moment we acted up and didn’t get what we deserved—is all because of God’s mercy. When we really let this truth sink in, we stop measuring ourselves against others and start living with open hands and a grateful heart. Because the same grace that reached us is the same grace reaching for them.

Paul kept it real in 1 Corinthians 15:10 (NLT): “But whatever I am now, it is all because God poured out his special favor on me—and not without results.” Paul knew he worked hard, but he also knew it was God doing the work through him. That’s the posture: grateful, not entitled. Everything we are and everything we’re becoming—it’s not about us getting it right. It’s about God never giving up on us. That’s His amazing grace.

If you’ve ever wondered if God’s tired of giving you grace—don’t. He already knew the detours you’d take, and He still chose you. His grace doesn’t run out. It doesn’t wait for you to clean up first. It finds you anyway—in the dark, in the doubt, in the middle of the mistake you swore you’d never make again.

And when it finds you, it doesn’t just pull you out—it builds you up. Grace doesn’t show up empty-handed; it comes with purpose. It comes to heal, to teach, to transform. So embrace it fully and completely. Let it remind you that no matter where you’ve been, you are still loved by the One who sees it all—and stays. That’s grace. The kind that finds you anyway. ■

Scripture quotations marked (NLT) are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois 60189. All rights reserved.

“Grace That Finds Us Anyway”, written for Springfield Fellowship © 2025. All rights reserved. All praise and honor to God through Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior.