Grace, Peace, and Joy

Last time, we talked about how Paul was often called the “Apostle of Joy.” Well interestingly enough, Paul frequently opens his letters with, “Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.” These words aren’t simply a salutation, but a beautiful and powerful blessing—one that Paul firmly believed led directly to a joy-filled life.

Over the years, I have come up with my own personal description of grace. To me, grace is God’s freely-given, undeserved favor and power that enables us to do with ease what we could never do on our own with any amount of struggle or self-effort. We are saved by grace through faith in Jesus Christ (see Ephesians 2:8), and we can live our everyday lives—caring for our families, running our households, fulfilling our job responsibilities, and doing everything else we do each day—by grace through faith. There are no limits to the ways we need God’s grace, and thankfully, there is no limit to the grace God is willing to give us.

Understanding and receiving God’s grace makes it possible for us to live in peace. When I hear people say they have no peace in their lives, I feel sorry for them, because a life without peace is difficult, stressful, and joyless. Regardless of what else anyone may have—power, good looks, riches, an engaging personality, influential friends, or possessions—it’s worth nothing if they don’t have peace to go along with it. In fact, all of these external things can become burdens when people do not have peace on the inside.

Grace leads to peace, and peace leads to joy. In fact, I don’t think it’s possible to be truly joyful if we are not living in God’s grace and peace. Now, when I use the word joy or joyful, I’m not referring to what the world calls “happiness” or “happy.” Happiness rises and falls, depending on the situations or moods in which people find themselves. But joy remains steady through ups and downs, even despite what we’d call “a bad mood.” Joy is not determined by circumstances. It is a gift from God, and it follows a life of grace and peace. As an old song says about joy, “The world didn’t give it, and the world can’t take it away.”

As we move forward in this journey together, I pray grace and peace for you. And one of the greatest ways you can receive God’s grace is by spending time with Him—talking to Him throughout your day, reading His Word, and just letting Him know You need His help with everything.

I hope you’ll become increasingly aware of all the ways God’s grace and peace will help you in every area of your life. I also pray that you will deliberately watch for Him to extend grace and peace to you, because when you look for them, you will see that He makes them available in more ways than you may have imagined.

Adapted from the book Be Joyful by Joyce Meyer. Copyright 2022 by Joyce Meyer. Published by Hachette Book Group, Inc. All rights reserved.

Prayer: “Lord, please help me to recognize and receive Your amazing grace in my life. I can look for happiness in a lot of places, but only You can provide me with true peace and joy, regardless of my circumstances. Thank You for Your unconditional love in my life! In Jesus’ name, amen.”