Have you ever done something really foolish, insensitive, or just downright stupid that rightfully should have ticked off someone, but instead, that person cut you some slack? I have. 

If I knowingly — or even unknowingly — offend someone and they choose to overlook an offense, that person has demonstrated a characteristic we call “grace.” 

So, what exactly is grace? Simply stated, it’s unmerited favor. It’s getting good things when we don’t deserve them. 

We might call the gracious person “a class act” or someone who “always takes the high road.” They aren’t petty or vindictive. They don’t return insult for insult. Though they have every right, they choose to ignore nastiness and instead return a blessing for a curse.

Somehow, gracious people have an uncanny ability to look for the best in people, giving even difficult personalities the benefit of the doubt. Why is that? Because a gracious person knows in their heart that “there but for the grace of God go I.”

I’ve written about the cancel culture in past articles. I think I can say with complete confidence that a truly gracious person would never cancel another human being. They might keep a safe distance from someone who is out of control or has an unhealthy disposition, but they would still recognize the inherent value of that person, despite their flaws. 

If we think about it, we can probably name a few people in our own lives who have extended grace to us. They’ve been kind when we’ve been a jerk. They’ve been forgiving when we were in the wrong. They’ve been patient when we’ve lost our cool. They’ve loved us when we were unlovable. They showed grace.

Grace isn’t cheap. There is a cost involved. We may not get a “thank you” for showing grace to the person who took our parking place or cut in front of us at a DisneyWorld ride after we’ve waited in line for an hour. But God saw it and will bless us for it. 

Proverbs 19:11 says, “A person’s wisdom yields patience; it is to one’s glory to overlook an offense.” It’s a glorious thing to demonstrate grace – even under pressure – because the gracious person is winsome and lovely. He or she is pleasant to be with. When we recognize that we’ve been on the receiving end of grace, we can’t help but respond with genuine humility and gratitude. And if we’re wise, we, in turn, can make the effort to show grace to others.

Chances are that you and I have been shown grace more times than we realize. May God help us to show grace to others, whether they notice it or not. Grace truly is amazing. Grace… how sweet the sound.

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This article first appeared in the June 2022 edition of Best Living at Scenic Loop magazine.