There but for the Grace of God, Go I.

When I was young, I remember walking along a main street near our house. It was like a main street, with all the shops and the movie theater. As we walked along, there was a man sitting on the sidewalk whose clothes and body were filthy and he looked worn and tired. As we walked by him, my Mother said, "There but for the grace of God, go I". She was a very compassionate person and I could tell that she was touched by his dilemma.

She didn't elaborate or explain and she only said it once, but that statement was seared deep into my soul. So much so, that I still remember it today and it has been a core belief during my entire life.

We all have our ups and downs, and for most of us, our lives are at least doable. That can change in a moment - an accident, a lost job, a bad health report, a loss of someone we love, and things can spiral down quickly and before we know it, we could be on the street like the man I saw when I was walking with my Mom.

How much better would our lives and our society be if we realized that God is with us and wants to have a personal relationship with us. All we have to do is want to have a personal relationship with HIm. When we make that connection, then, no matter what we are going through, we know that God will see us through it. We can live with hope, rather than hopelessness. We will realize that we are all equal in God's eyes and understand that we are not better or worse than anyone else.

Recognizing that, I believe we would have more compassion towards those who have less than us or who are going through a hard time. Having empathy towards others allows us to be an encouragement and a help to those in need by loving them with Godly love, just where they are at.

If we believe, "There but for the grace of God, go I" we can avoid falling into the trap of a prideful life: Thinking that all we accomplish is because of our abilities alone, without God. In James 4:6, it says, …God resists the proud and gives grace to the humble. I don't know about you, but I certainly don't want God to resist me. I want Him to help me in everything I do.

Think about your own life. Are you judgmental toward those who have less than you or those who are making poor decisions? If so, perhaps you could try imagining yourself in the other person's circumstances. Then you will understand, "There but for the Grace of God go I."