By Ortberg, Pederson, and Poling

A deep understanding, appreciation, and acceptance of grace is essential to effective biblical leadership. Only a leader with a real sense of grace in his or her own life will be able to really teach and impart grace in the lives of others. Without the ability to extend grace, a leader can become legalistic. Also a life in touch with grace is also a life of joy and thankfulness. Burnout, hardness of heart, and legalism are all related to a loss of a sense of grace.

This book is one of a series by Zondervan called Pursuing Spiritual Transformation. It is a simple, easy read meant especially to be used in study groups complete with questions and exercises. Some of the sessions include “Living in Grace;” “Delighted in Grace;” and “Grace to Share.”

Here are some thoughts provoked by this reading.

• Jesus Christ was the first person on earth to really evidence a life of joyful, simple contentment. He really evidenced the “restored soul” of Psalm 23. He had eyes to see a steady flow of God’s gracious gifts.
   
• Jesus persevered in that path of righteousness through the valley of the shadow of death. So we can experience it too. It is the path of grace.
   
• Living in grace requires new eyes. We must learn to see God’s grace at work all around us. We must develop the discipline of “noticing.”
   
• Just as we must learn to see Jesus’ ordinary gifts of grace, we must also learn to seize his ordinary moments of grace. Each of us can be transformed by personal and private times of green pastures and still waters.
   
• Joy is a characteristic of God and as His children we have an untapped potential for joy. A deep and continual experience of grace helps us recognize and respond to godly joy. Certainly the Gospel of the good news is one of great joy, to be lived, celebrated and passed on to others. Contagious Christian living emanates from a profound sense of the grace of God, which is so wonderful it bubbles up and must be passed on.

This little study provoked me to look for and be refreshed by the wondrous moments of beauty and grace so evident in our lives when we have eyes to see.