Faith vs. Grace

When Mary came face-to-face with the mighty angel Gabriel, he greeted Mary by calling her full of grace, not full of faith. Mary’s “yes” to God (Luke 1:38) was the result of the grace God had given her, not the result of her own willpower and forceful personality.

This is a key point for all of us. For in the final analysis, faith is not something we drum up on our own. It’s a gift given to us by a gracious, generous God. It’s a grace that he pours into us, a potent seed that is waiting to be plunged into the soil of our hearts. We may think we have weak faith, but the truth is God has given us all the faith we will ever need. We just have to learn how to yield to this great gift.

Can you say “yes” to God today? Yes, you can. God’s gift of grace guarantees it!

(five minutes with the Word,  Advent 2011)