Grace to you and peace be multiplied. (1 Peter 1:2, NKJV)

Grace to you and peace be multiplied. This greeting from Peter just leaps out to me on this New Year’s Day. It’s such a good verse for new beginnings and hope for the new year, isn’t it? It’s full and rich just as it is, but if we look into the Greek root words we’ll find even more!

Did you know that the word grace in this verse comes from the Greek word xáris? This kind of grace refers  how God is always leaning toward us freely giving Himself away to us because He wants to be with us.

The word peace comes from the Greek word eirḗnē, and it means “wholeness.” It refers to all the essential parts being joined together. Peace is God’s gift of wholeness.

The word multiplied comes from the Greek word plēthýnō, and it means made full to maximum potential.

How would our new year be different if we remembered that God is always leaning toward us, that He wants to be with us, and that He is always freely giving Himself away to us? Can you imagine that? He cares for us that much!

How would our new year be different if we remembered that God is always leaning toward us and wants to be with us? Share on X

What would our new year look like if we believed that peace is possible? Even in the midst of trials and difficulties, even if we suffer physically or emotionally, God can bind all the essential things together and make us whole again on the inside. In the spiritual realm, there is wholeness for us, and God is reaching out with it!

And even better, what would our new year mean to us if we remembered that all of this (God’s grace and reaching toward us, and His peace and gift of wholeness) is being multiplied, enlarged, and expanded to the very maximum potential because that’s how big His love is?

It’s true. All of it. We can rely on God to bring what He says He will bring. We are made for grace, and that is good because grace is the way of God.

We are made for grace, and that is good because grace is the way of God. Share on X

I don’t know about you, but when I think of that, another word is spelled out right before my eyes — HOPE. No matter what we face, no matter the unforeseen circumstances ahead, we have Jesus, and He is our Living Hope. We have God the Father, leaning toward us full of grace and peace – multiplied beyond what we could ever imagine. All of this is ahead of us in this brand new year!

No matter what we face, no matter the unforeseen circumstances ahead, we have Jesus, and He is our Living Hope. Share on X

I’m reaching out for all that today. How about you?

This Year at Journey to Imperfect

If you continue to visit here (and I very much hope you will!) here’s how we’re going to experience a little of that grace, peace, and hope in 2018.

• We’ll talk about the following topics.

Jesus is our living hope!
Jesus’ life and holiness lead to transformation.
Jesus is our cornerstone and sure foundation.
Jesus is with us in suffering.
Jesus helps us love well.

• We’re going to pray! (Free prayer action plans!)

I’ll be creating some prayer action plans that you’ll find for free here at Journey to Imperfect. These action plans will be based on the things we are currently discussing on the blog. The plan will be very simple and will lead us to pray one Scripture each week. Something that simple can be very powerful and we’ll understand this even more through the prayer plan as we look at the meanings of the Greek root words behind the English words in the verses.

Friends, there’s nothing like praying His promises back to Him! It’s a life changer! Understanding the word meanings brings light to the power of  the words we are speaking back to God.

Each of these action plans will include a free download with a simple prayer and scripture writing plan as well as Scripture cards so you can take His promises and pray them wherever you go! I’ll probably have several of these available to you this year. These free prayer action plans will most likely be focused on some of the following topics:

• Hope
• Transformation
• Trust
• Suffering
• Loving Well

• We’re still working on perfectionism.

Perfectionism is real, friends, and it takes a lot to recognize and overcome it. Fortunately, we have the ultimate Overcomer walking with us every day! Most posts this year will have a new section at the end to help anyone who might be struggling with perfectionism. This section is designed to help you understand and overcome perfectionism.

So, dear friends, grace to you and peace multiplied in 2018!

 

 

Focus Verses
The verse highlighted in this article is linked to its appropriate page at Bible Hub where you can find free resources for further study! Just click on the verse reference! You will also find links on each Greek root word to take you to where I found those word meanings (from the free Helps Words-studies created by Discovery Bible). You should consider clicking through to learn even more!

Let’s Talk
How have you seen God bring grace and peace in the midst of difficult circumstances?

If You Struggle with Perfectionism
Perfectionism gives no grace. And perfectionism doesn’t know how to receive it, either. The things is, grace is central to overcoming perfectionism. God’s grace demonstrates His love for us because of Who He is, not because of anything we’ve done to earn His love or approval. (And perfectionism is all about earning other people’s approval which really translates into trying to earn the approval of God.) God loves us just as we are, imperfections and all. We can’t earn His love. It’s just there for us because of Who He is.  All He asks is that we embrace His love and what Jesus did for us on the cross.

To make headway in overcoming perfectionism, we need to be able to accept God’s love (grace). Share on X

To make headway in overcoming perfectionism, we need to be able to accept God’s love (grace). It sounds like a simple thing to understand, but believe me, it can be a difficult concept to grasp fully. If this is striking a chord with you, stop right now and ask God to give you discernment and wisdom about how to move away from all the striving and forward into all of His abundant grace. What changes can you make in your life to begin accepting God’s kind of grace? Remember, His grace is the kind that is always leaning toward you because He desires to be with you, imperfections and all.

Let’s Pray!
Dear Heavenly Father, we ask that you would help us see you reaching out to us with your grace, leaning toward us because You desire to be with us. Help us to find wholeness in the midst of the difficulties of this life. We know that inwardly you can create us into new and whole women, full of the kind of peace that passes understanding. Help us let go of the things that hold us back from being all that you created us to be. Give us discernment and wisdom about how to step forward into Your abundant grace. In Jesus name, Amen.

This post may be linked in the following places. Click through to find more hope and encouragement for your new year!

Moments of Hope / Tea AndWord Tuesdays / Tell His Story / Cheerleaders of Faith /  Coffee for Your Heart / Sitting Among Friends / Live Free Thursday / Chasing Community / Salt and Light / Heart Encouragement Thursday / Counting My Blessings / Grace and Truth