Week 1: Anchored in Jesus
(Hope, Salvation & Identity)
Day 2 — Grace, Not Grit
Scripture Reading:
“For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast.”
Ephesians 2:8-9 NIV
“But when the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit,”
Titus 3:4-5 NIV
Devotional Thought
Have you ever been given something you don’t deserve?
Most of us are used to earning things. You work hard, prove yourself, perform well — then you’re accepted. That mindset seeps into almost every area of life, including how many of us think about God.
But the message of Jesus cuts straight through that way of thinking.
The core of Christianity isn’t about trying harder or being “good enough.” It’s about grace — undeserved, unearned love given freely. The Bible says we are saved not because we figured life out or cleaned ourselves up, but because God chose to meet us with kindness right where we are.
That’s hard to believe sometimes. We’re used to measuring our worth by our success, our discipline, or how well we hold things together. But grace says you don’t have to prove anything. You don’t have to earn God’s attention or approval. You already have it.
This doesn’t mean effort doesn’t matter — it just means effort comes after acceptance, not before it. You don’t change so that God will love you; you begin to change because you’re already loved.
Grace lifts the pressure. It replaces striving with trust. It invites you to stop performing and start receiving.
You don’t have to fix yourself before coming to God. You come as you are — and He meets you there.
Reflection Question
What part of grace feels hardest for you to accept: that you don’t have to earn it, that it’s freely given, or that it really applies to you?
Practice for Today
Take a quiet moment and say this honestly:
“God, I don’t want to earn Your love anymore. I want to receive it.”
Notice what that stirs up in you — resistance, relief, emotion, or peace — and let it be okay.
“For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast.”
Ephesians 2:8-9 NIV
“But when the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit,”
Titus 3:4-5 NIV
Devotional Thought
Have you ever been given something you don’t deserve?
Most of us are used to earning things. You work hard, prove yourself, perform well — then you’re accepted. That mindset seeps into almost every area of life, including how many of us think about God.
But the message of Jesus cuts straight through that way of thinking.
The core of Christianity isn’t about trying harder or being “good enough.” It’s about grace — undeserved, unearned love given freely. The Bible says we are saved not because we figured life out or cleaned ourselves up, but because God chose to meet us with kindness right where we are.
That’s hard to believe sometimes. We’re used to measuring our worth by our success, our discipline, or how well we hold things together. But grace says you don’t have to prove anything. You don’t have to earn God’s attention or approval. You already have it.
This doesn’t mean effort doesn’t matter — it just means effort comes after acceptance, not before it. You don’t change so that God will love you; you begin to change because you’re already loved.
Grace lifts the pressure. It replaces striving with trust. It invites you to stop performing and start receiving.
You don’t have to fix yourself before coming to God. You come as you are — and He meets you there.
Reflection Question
What part of grace feels hardest for you to accept: that you don’t have to earn it, that it’s freely given, or that it really applies to you?
Practice for Today
Take a quiet moment and say this honestly:
“God, I don’t want to earn Your love anymore. I want to receive it.”
Notice what that stirs up in you — resistance, relief, emotion, or peace — and let it be okay.