The Gift of Grace: What We Don’t Deserve but Still Receive

Zaressa Richardson
Dec 15, 2025
4 min read

The Fine Print Series — Week 3 of “Unwrapping Gifts from Heaven”

Welcome back, friend. I hope you’ve been enjoying unwrapping our heavenly gifts as much as I have. The Word of God never gets old. He always finds a way to bring fresh revelation right when we need it most.

Before we go any further, let’s take a quick show and tell moment to reflect on what we’ve unwrapped so far.

In Week 1, we discovered The Gift of Presence, where we learned that God is with us.

In Week 2, we opened The Gift of Peace, where we discovered that He is within us.

Now, we come to our next gift, the one that covers every part of our lives, The Gift of Grace.

Grace is the reason we still wake up covered even when we fall short. It is the unearned, undeserved, unstoppable favor of God that reaches us even when we run. The world teaches that everything must be earned, but the Kingdom reminds us that grace is given.

It is not a reward for the righteous but a rescue for the broken.

Put plainly, you and I earn a paycheck, but grace is something you cannot work for. It is freely given because of who God is, not because of what we have done.

So as we unwrap this week’s gift, take a deep breath and rest in this truth:

You do not have to strive for what has already been freely given.

Why Is Grace Such a Big Deal?

The word grace might not sound flashy, but it is one of the most powerful gifts we have ever received.

If you grew up in church, you’ve probably heard a few of these familiar phrases:

“Traveling grace and arriving mercies.”

“By the grace of God...”

But beyond the sayings, grace is more than a phrase. It is the pulse of our relationship with God. Without grace, we could never stand in His presence, call Him Father, or walk in His purpose.

And here’s something worth pausing on. Grace is not a concept, it’s a Person.

The Spirit of Grace is the Holy Spirit Himself.

Hebrews 10:29 reminds us that the Holy Spirit is called “the Spirit of Grace.” That means the same Spirit who convicts, comforts, and leads us also carries the power to extend grace — both to us and through us.

When we received the Holy Spirit, we didn’t just receive power. We received presence, peace, and grace.

So every time life tries to tell you that you’ve messed up too much or gone too far, remember this truth: Grace lives within you.

Now, please hear me — grace is not a free “do what you want” card.

Grace is not permission; it’s power. It’s meant to help us see where we fall short so we can grow stronger in our dependence on Jesus.

Paul put it this way in Romans 6:1: “Should we keep on sinning so that grace may abound?”In other words, should we keep living however we want because we know the grace of God is available to us?

The answer is simple — no.

Let’s make it practical.

Imagine this: every week you fill your car with gas. You even give your child gas money each time they drive, but they never stop to refill the tank. Instead, they keep running out of gas on the interstate. They know you’ll show up to help, so they stop taking responsibility.

And before you say, “Well, I’d stop giving them gas money,” remember — that’s not how our loving Father works.

God doesn’t stop the flow of grace. He continues to pour it out, not because we deserve it, but because He is faithful even when we are not.

But here’s the thing — grace is meant to be used, not wasted.

If you never stop to refill, you’ll always end up stranded.

Just because you have salvation grace doesn’t mean you automatically walk in grace for everything else.

There’s grace to love, grace to forgive, grace to parent, grace to work, grace to lead, and grace to endure.

And just like that gas money, the Father has already given you what you need — you just have to stop and receive it.

Grace is the fuel that keeps us going. It fills our hearts when we’re empty and keeps our spirits running when life feels heavy.

So, when it comes to grace, remember this truth:

God never runs out, but we must keep coming back to be filled.

This gift of grace isn’t something we unwrap once and forget about. It’s something we unwrap daily.

God said, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My power is made perfect in weakness."

His grace is sufficient for every task He assigns to us, but we must accept the gift in faith.

That means even when you can’t see the outcome, you fix your eyes on things above and remind yourself of the Word of God.

Grace Finds You Where You Are

Before we close, I want you to pause and reflect.

What do you need grace for today?

Where do you feel weak?

There’s a gift of grace available to empower you right where you are.

Don’t believe me? Let’s pull the receipts.

Grace found Noah when the world was wicked.

It found Paul while he was still breathing threats.

It found Peter after his denial.

It found David after his downfall.

And there’s more where that came from, for you and me today.

So I have to ask, are you ready to unwrap your gift of grace?

Let’s Pray

Father, thank You for the gift of grace. Thank You that it finds me right where I am and gives me strength where I am weak. Help me to unwrap this gift daily and walk in the power of Your Spirit. Teach me to depend on You and not my own strength. Let Your grace fill every empty place in me and overflow into every area of my life.