I like many people have what is lovingly called a “junk drawer.” It is a drawer in the kitchen or in the workshop where all the “thing-a-ma-jigs” and “what-cha-ma-call-its” go. They are the odds and ends we find that if we were asked what they were for, we probably couldn’t give an answer.

Whenever I open this drawer it brings back memories of an old television game show called “The Liar’s Club.” In the show, celebrities would give a description of old and unusual objects. The contestants had to guess who was telling the truth and who was not. There were items like a bearing from an airplane propeller or a roller from an old clothes washer – things most of us would not recognize nor have any idea how to use.

One of the things as Christians that we have in our lives yet don’t fully understand how to us is grace. We know it we say grace and we are saved by grace but don’t fully grasp the practical aspects of it.

In 2 Corinthians 12:9, God says to Paul, “My grace is sufficient for you.” In 1 Peter 5:10 God is called “the God of all grace.” God is the source of grace which He gives to us, but many of us are unsure how to use it, how to appropriate it to our lives.

Paul urged Timothy in 2 Timothy 2:1 to “be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus.” This isn’t a suggestion. Grammatically, this is a command or request Paul is making. He wanted Timothy to do something: he wanted Timothy to take God’s grace, apply it to his life and be strong in it.

So what is grace? “Grace” is the most important concept in the Bible, Christianity, and the world. It is most clearly expressed in the promises of God revealed in Scripture and embodied in Jesus Christ. Simply, grace is the love of God shown to the unlovely; the peace of God given to the restless; the unmerited favour of God. John Stott defines it as “love that cares, stoops and rescues.”

But how is this grace applied to our lives? Paul tells Titus in 2:11-13, “For the grace of God has appeared that offers salvation to all people. It teaches us to say “No” to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age, while we wait for the blessed hope—the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ.”

Paul tells us that grace teaches us and empowers us to live for God. We all have our shortcomings and struggles but when the grace of God is applied to our lives, there is transformation, there is change.

Paul’s protégé, Timothy, had a problem with timidity. How do I know this? Earlier in his first letter to Timothy, Paul had had already said to him, “God did not give us a spirit of timidity,” and “So do not be ashamed to testify about our Lord, or ashamed of me his prisoner.” He even went to tell the Corinthians “If Timothy comes, see to it that he has nothing to fear while he is with you.” I think all of us can relate to Timothy’s reservations and struggles. Sometimes life gets challenging and fear or timidity can take hold. That is why Paul reinforces this with Timothy over and over.

Have you ever gone to someone’s home for a meal and wanted “seconds?” Have you ever wanted “thirds” or more? I think we would get embarrassed to ask over and over because we feel like we are imposing on our host’s hospitality. With God’s grace, I think we are the same.

Remember in the Old Testament when the Israelites were wandering in the desert? Everyday, God would provide manna for the people to eat. It wasn’t something they could collect for future consideration, rather it was something they had to collect and use every day. Grace is the same. It needs to be applied to our lives on a daily basis so it becomes sufficient for every need.

You see, Paul saw and understood that Timothy was struggling. Timidity was part of his moral fibre so Paul calls Timothy to be “strong in the grace.”

What is your greatest need right now? Is it contentment in a very difficult situation? Paul would say to you, “Be content in the grace that is in Christ Jesus.” Is it patience in a trying circumstance? Then be patient in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. If it is moral purity in a romantic relationship? Then be pure in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. Whatever you need at this time, you can experience the reality of God’s words to Paul, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.”

God’s grace is sufficient. It is sufficient for all your needs. It is sufficient regardless of the severity of any one need.  The Israelites never exhausted God’s supply of manna. It was always there every morning to be gathered up by the people. This went on for forty years!

This means you too will never exhaust God’s grace. It will always be there every day for you to apply as much as you need for whatever your need is.

As Christians, we often forget that grace is more than about salvation. When we apply grace to our lives, it leads to transformation. So I want to encourage each of us to apply the grace of God to our lives every day. When we do that, we will not only experience God’s faithfulness as “new every morning” but we will see our lives changed more and more into the image of Jesus Christ, our model and Savior.