Since grace is a training ground, the lessons learned are divine character qualities. The perspective clarified is a look at life through God’s eyes. Stress, difficulty, challenges, disappointments, frustrations, despair, depression, uncertainty, confusion, and demoralization are the stuff of temporary anxiety, but they are turned into the building blocks of character through the intervention of grace.

Have you been stressed lately? Felt the pressure of life around you? Seen some of your security erode?

These unpleasant circumstances are the training ground of grace. They are meant to reveal the super sufficiency of Christ. The magnitude of His sufficiency can only be perceived when viewed against the backdrop of significant challenges.

Realizing life has lost its equilibrium can only reveal the stability of life in Christ. Seeing disillusionment on all four corners of the compass can only mean the perspective of grace must be coming into focus. The greater the stress, the more profound is grace!

There are times I long to be delivered from my trials and challenges. However, when I truly consider deliverance, I realize it represents a temporary perspective.

Deliverance extracts me out of my troubles; grace walks me through them. Deliverance might be a nice ride, but grace is an exciting journey. Deliverance leaves me with a great memory. Grace leaves my heart strong, my eyes focused, and my mind clear. This is the stuff of eternity!

From the vantage point of difficulties, while grace is a training ground run through tear-blurred eyes, it is still God’s determination to share His heart with us. It remains His invitation to see life and eternity from His perspective.

But more profoundly, it is the revelation of all God is and invites us to be.