Pastor’s Place: Saying grace is more than just a prayer

By Jason Hillier, Campus Pastor, Valley Creek Church Flower Mound

“Who is gonna say grace?”

Often heard during the holidays…it’s the proverbial question which essentially equates to “who is going to pray for this food?”

Whenever I hear that question, I immediately think of Aunt Bethany in National Lampoon’s “Christmas Vacation” who responds back with “Grace? She passed away 30 years ago!” She then proceeds to pray the Pledge of Allegiance, followed by a resounding family-wide “Amen!”

Ok, so maybe it’s not quite this awkward for your family, but did you know there is a completely different way to “say grace?”

You see, grace is simply a word for “gift” or “charity.” Grace is undeserved favor. Grace is when you get so much better than you deserve. Jesus is so much better than we deserve. Jesus is grace.

This serves as a special challenge during the holidays: Be the person who “says grace” (and no, I don’t just mean praying before the meal). I mean be the person who takes time to give encouragement, declare a blessing, or speak out a specific compliment over someone for everyone else to hear. Be generous with your words. In other words, “say grace.”

Proverbs 16:24 says, “Gracious words are a honeycomb, sweet to the soul and healing to the bones.”

That is, when you “say grace” or speak gracious words over someone, those words can begin to heal hearts, bind up wounds, or maybe even help mend a tear in a long-strained relationship in the family. Ever experience any strained family relations during the holidays? Don’t answer that out loud.

Ok, so what if this year you do something about it? Say grace. Speak grace. Be gracious and intentional with your words. Be the person who says, “what if we go around the table and say something kind about each other?” Then, you go first. Speak a gracious word over somebody else. The people in your life need this. Gracious words are sweet to the soul.

So, this holiday season don’t just pray over the food – slow down, get outside yourself, bless the people in your life with gracious, life-giving, intentional words. That is, say grace.

The Pastor’s Place features columns written by a different area church leader each month. Call 940-728-8284 for more information.