Graciousness – Proverbs 4:9
“She will place on your head a garland of grace; she will present you with a crown of beauty.”
With the same passion exhibited by gold-feverish prospectors seeking after a rich vein, so should we, as lovers of Christ, seek after graciousness: a treasure far more valuable than piles of gold and rivers of silver. Happily, we need not wander along desolate mountainsides wielding our pickax against solid rock in hopes of finding it. For Jesus gives this holy attribute generously to His beloved, covering them with it, making them lovely to behold, delightful to know.
As we seek deeper fellowship with Jesus and pursue His wisdom, allowing Him to open our eyes to the futility of selfishness and the satisfaction of other-centeredness, graciousness overtakes our former dispositions. It teaches us to treat others with consideration, to extend goodwill to them, and to go out of our way to spread joy. It leads us into pleasant relationships with our brothers and sisters. It takes us to high and holy ground where we are welcomed into the Lord’s presence as those who have grown to reflect His image more closely by becoming “gracious and compassionate, slow to anger, abounding in loving-kindness, and relenting of evil.”[1] Through the transforming work of God, we become “marked by kindness and courtesy, characterized by charm, good taste, and generosity of spirit,”[2] and we become lovers of purity, gaining honor.[3] Our speech becomes life giving, making us the friend of many.[4]
What a joy and relief to lay down our angry, hostile, rude demeanors to take on the character of Christ. What a privilege to know that we have received all of God’s fullness and His grace upon grace,[5] out of which flows a God-molded sweetness and tenderheartedness. What a blessing to be able, through the mercy of our loving Father, who alone is capable of molding us into people with proven character and beautiful souls, to make our gentle spirits known to all.[6]
Look to the Lord who is enthroned
in the heavens and ask Him, out of His graciousness, to array you in
graciousness.[7] Pursue it! Desire it!
Seek it through the wisdom that God grants to those who ask in faith for
it,[8] and rejoice, for He will lead you to a graciousness that
shines through the darkness, illuminating the night, showing others the pathway
to the light.[9]
In the midst of the trials and struggles of life
With all of the pressures, deadlines, and strife
A smiling face is a beacon of light
Much like an angel’s touch in the night
When charity seems in short supply
And no one hears our desperate cry
When graciousness seems a foreign thing
Kindness makes the heavens sing
[1] Joel 2:13
[2] Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary, Electronic Edition, Version 1.5, 1994
[3] Proverbs 11:16
[4] Proverbs 22:11
[5] John 1:16
[6] Philippians 4:5
[7] Psalms 123:1-2
[8] James 1:5-6
[9] Ephesians 5:8-9
