"Don't miss the grace of God..."

Hebrews 12:15 warns us, "See to it that no one misses the grace of God and that no bitter root grows up to cause trouble and defile many." (NIV)

I have been thinking about that verse a lot; I have often quoted the second part of the verse about bitterness but rarely remembered the first part--"Don't miss the grace of God!" (Barrett paraphrase).

I discover a high incidence of bitterness in marriage--unprocessed anger that leads to broken or abandoned communication and inevitable bitterness and resentment.  Neglecting the first part of this verse is to miss the scriptural antidote to the fertilization of the root of bitterness.

It is "the grace of God"?  How so?

1.  The "grace of God" is His unmerited favor towards me.

2.  God's grace is freely bestowed upon me as His child.

3.  I am not to "miss" this grace, or forget and ignore it.

4.  Remembering God's grace towards me becomes a springboard for me exercising grace to others.

5.  I remember that I am flawed and sinful and God's grace abounds towards me; cannot I extend His grace to my spouse? to my colleague at work? to a rebellious child?

I don;t want to be bitter; I have been and I remember how painful it was.  Truly it affected all of my life and the resultant defilement was far-reaching in to other unsuspecting relationships.

"Don't miss God's grace!"  The next time you're in conflict--angry, even wounded--remember the grace extended towards you--and extend it freely to another.  Bitterness and resentment cannot flourish in a life fertilized with God's grace!