Written by Starla Webster

When reading through The Passion Translation of Luke this week I was struck by a beautiful prayer, prayed by Zechariah:

“Praise be to the exalted Lord God for he has seen us through eyes of grace and he comes as our Hero-God to set us free!”

I paused, meditating on this one line: God sees us through the eyes of grace…

Do you look at yourself through eyes of grace or do you look at yourself through eyes of criticism? Do you live our life under the restful cover of grace or do you live it under an incessant stream of Should Do’s and Should Be’s? That voice that tells you, “I should be doing more, I should be more,” is not the voice of God but the voice of the enemy who stands behind you driving you and leaving you hopeless as you compare yourself, perhaps, to other women that you perceive as having it all together. I want to remind you that the difference in your life is that God’s voice leads you, not the enemy’s. God isn’t this militant, ungracious God that looks at your circumstances and says you are not enough—you need to do more and be more—but He is an empathetic, personal God that says in 2 Corinthians “My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness.” Therefore, you can boast in your weakness and your inability to “have it all together” so that the power of Christ can work in you and through you.

There is no anxiety in God—only perfect peace. He is, after all, known as the Prince of Peace. As it says in Colossians 3:15,

“let the peace that comes from Christ rule in your hearts. For as members of one body you are called to live in peace and always be thankful.”

Anxiety is a sense of worry, nervousness or unease about something with an uncertain outcome. When our days are filled with anxiety, we forget to be thankful for the present and for what’s before our very eyes. Jesus encourages you to cast all your anxieties on to Him because He cares for you, and He is in control.

I remember a moment quite recently where my workload very nearly sent me into a spiral of panic. I looked at my calendar, at all the daily demands people were placing on me, and my heart began to race. I had to immediately stop what I was doing, go to God, and be honest with Him. I had to tell Him: Lord, I’m not coping. I felt God speak into my spirit. He took me to the scriptures and spoke words of encouragement and life over me through Philippians 4:13 in the Amplified.

“I can do all things [which He has called me to do] through Him who strengthens and empowers me [to fulfil His purpose]—I am self-sufficient in Christ’s sufficiency; I am ready for anything and equal to anything through Him who infuses me with inner strength and confident peace.”

I had heard and read this scripture many times before, but this time it completely transformed me and my pe rspective after mediating on it that day. Where I had lost confidence, God promised a confident peace. Where I had grown weary and weak, God promised to inject me with His strength. He reminded me that I could rest in the assurance that if He has called me to do something, He will empower me to do it.

I encourage you today—instead of looking at your to-do list first thing in the morning and being overwhelmed by the Should Do’s and Should Be’s—to draw close to God and ask Him what He wants of you that day. Knowing God’s nature, He will speak words of life to you through His word, and by His Spirit He will say to you:

“Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. ²⁹ Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls. ³⁰ For my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light.”

Matthew 11:28- 30

Have you stopped, to look into the eyes of grace? I can guarantee you that when you look into Jesus’ loving and grace-filled eyes, your heart will overflow with thanksgiving and peace. You will cease all the fruitless striving and enjoy God’s grace, which is more than enough. There is nothing more amazing than God’s Grace! So let us not stray far from God’s enabling grace, but rest in His power, draw from His strength, and walk with Him daily.