The Grace Age: Don’t Lose with Game-Changing Cards in Your Hand
Imagine you’re playing a game of UNO. The game is intense, and you’re holding some of the most powerful cards in the deck—Wild Cards, Draw Fours, Skips. Yet, you never play them. You keep waiting for the perfect moment, but by the time you’re ready, the game is over, and you’ve lost.
This is a picture of how we sometimes live our lives. We’ve been given everything we need to win—spiritually and practically—but we don’t use it. We’ve been graced with power, favor, and opportunity, yet we hesitate, wait, and often miss the moment. In the game of life, many are losing because they are holding onto God-given resources but not using them.
Pioneering with Grace
Pioneering is a path-making endeavor, and this calling isn’t for the faint of heart. My wife and I have often walked in this grace—the grace to break new ground, create something where nothing existed before, and press into uncharted territories. But let me be clear: pioneering isn’t about personal ability or talent. It’s about grace.
Grace is more than unmerited favor—it’s heavenly empowerment. According to 2 Corinthians 12:9, God’s grace is made perfect in weakness. Romans 5:1-2 reminds us that we stand in this grace, allowing us access to divine empowerment. Grace is the spiritual fuel that empowers us for specific assignments, even when our natural abilities might not seem sufficient.
Grace vs. Talent: The Difference that Matters
It’s easy to confuse grace with talent. Just because you’re good at something doesn’t mean you’re graced for it. Moses, for example, wasn’t a great public speaker, yet he had the grace to lead an entire nation out of slavery. Aaron, on the other hand, was talented as a speaker but wasn’t called to lead.
Similarly, the Apostle Paul, a Jewish scholar, wasn’t called to the Jews but to the Gentiles. This wasn’t about his education or his natural talent—it was about the grace God had placed on his life. It’s important to understand that talent can open doors, but grace will give you the divine empowerment to walk through them and succeed.
Grace means that even when you aren’t striving or pushing, God’s provision will come to you. You’ll see results and breakthroughs that don’t make sense by human standards. This is the power of walking in your God-given grace.
Recognizing Your Grace
We all have different graces, and knowing what God has empowered you to do is crucial. Some people have the grace to be a blessing magnet—they attract blessings everywhere they go. Others are graced to work with difficult people, to encourage those who are down, or to lead youth into faith.
Paul’s grace wasn’t just to preach; it was to go into difficult and foreign territories, endure persecution, and make a way where there seemed to be no way (Acts 14:19-23). The grace on his life empowered him to accomplish things that would’ve been impossible without God’s hand on him.
But what happens when you’re not walking in your grace? Frustration. You’ll find yourself irritated with others who struggle in areas where you have ease. Or worse, you’ll experience deep frustration when you’re not living out the grace God has placed on your life. It’s like holding game-changing UNO cards and never playing them.
Compounded Grace: The Power of Two
Grace doesn’t just stop with what you’ve been given; it compounds when partnered with others. Throughout Scripture, we see examples of this: Paul and Barnabas, Paul and Silas. In Zechariah 4:6-7, we’re reminded that grace can level mountains. When you combine the grace on your life with the grace on someone else, mountains—obstacles—become flat, and forward movement becomes effortless.
Imagine having the grace for leadership and then partnering with someone who carries grace for creativity. Add to that the grace of connections and conquering, and you’ve got a powerhouse team. The grace on your life compounds and creates an unstoppable force.
The Grace Age: Playing the Cards You’ve Been Dealt
Living in a Grace Age means knowing the cards you’ve been dealt and playing them wisely. God has given each of us specific gifts, callings, and graces. Our job is to recognize what they are and use them to their fullest potential. It’s not enough to hold onto these powerful cards, waiting for the perfect moment to use them. The time is now.
You’ve been empowered to pioneer, to lead, to overcome, and to make a way where there wasn’t one before. Don’t hesitate. Don’t miss your moment. The grace on your life isn’t just for you—it’s for the people you’re called to impact, the mountains you’re called to move, and the history you’re called to make.