The problem with being grumpy

I'm tired. I was out too late last night, way too late. Fortunately it was our last "seasonal" commitment for Christmas dinner parties. Not that I don't enjoy them, I love to get together with friends and family. The nights go by very quickly. I'm just too pregnant and tired to keep going at this type of pace! :-)

So as Jake is at church (we stayed home due to less than lovely traveling weather) I find myself later this morning putting together lunch for our family a little less patient with my kids. And I'm reminded of this portion of a devotional I read yesterday:

"We received the grace of God freely. Now we freely give it to others. We did not receive salvation because we deserved it. The opposite. Therefore, we pour out grace and blessing on those around us, even when they don't deserve it. We prove that we have received the free grace of God by freely giving it to others. What an opportunity we have to serve, give and love freely in our home as we raise our children! This is our sphere to fulfill good works.

Serve freely in your home today. Pour out God's grace freely. Give lavishly."

It's my own fault I'm tired and a little less patient. And as I was wiping the table down a still small voice says to me "Would you be this short if you weren't tired? Or if they kids were being good?" Well, of course not. Why would I be? "Does this mean your kids need to earn your grace?" and the above devotional comes to mind.

I inwardly cringe at my poor example of grace. I've never even come close to deserving God's grace that He has abundantly given to me. And I know I can give grace freely, even if I am tired, because of Ephesians 2:10 "For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do."

It's not a matter of feeling like it - it's a matter of doing it.

The problem with being grumpy then is that it's not a very good excuse!