March 16 – The Energy of Grace
Grace is the divine life flowing through you without your even knowing it. Thomas Merton
Gregg’s Reflection
When I was living in a driven mode, all my energy came from within my own reserves. It was like drawing water from a well that was slowly running dry — every bucket pulled up took more effort and left me more depleted. My accomplishments might have looked impressive from the outside, but inside I often felt exhausted, resentful, and dangerously close to burnout.
Discovering grace was like finding a hidden underground spring. Grace isn’t just a theological idea — it’s an actual energy source for living. It flows not because of our effort, but because of God’s nature. When we learn to live in it, work no longer drains us in the same way; service becomes lighter, joy returns, and even hardship feels different because we’re not carrying it alone.
I still work hard, but the “engine” that drives me has changed. Instead of running on the fumes of my own determination, I try to live connected to the flow of God’s Spirit. Grace replenishes as it is given away, and the more I allow it to flow through me, the more I find I have to offer.
Grace is the source of every work of art, every creative act, every living and created thing. Tap into this source.
Scripture
But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace toward me has not been in vain. On the contrary, I worked harder than any of them—though it was not I, but the grace of God that is with me.
1 Corinthians 15:10
Ancient Quotes
Work as if everything depended on you; trust as if everything depended on God.
St. Augustine, Sermon 169
Modern Quotes
Grace is not opposed to effort, it is opposed to earning. Earning is an attitude. Effort is an action. Grace, you know, does not just have to do with forgiveness of sins alone.
Dallas Willard, The Great Omission, p. 61
Grace is the divine life flowing through you without your even knowing it.
Thomas Merton, New Seeds of Contemplation, p. 58
The source of creativity is a mysterious force that flows through us. We are not the authors but the conduits. Our work is to tune ourselves to the frequency of inspiration and allow it to move through with as little interference as possible.
Rick Rubin, The Creative Act: A Way of Being, p. 6
Journaling Prompts
- In what areas of life do you most rely on your own strength instead of God’s grace?
- How do you experience grace as an energy rather than just an idea?
- What would it look like to “work hard” in grace rather than in self-reliance?
- How can you stay connected to the flow of grace in the midst of daily pressures?
👉 Go deeper into this week’s theme:
Read the full Week 11 Reflection: Driven vs Drawn