"Grace to you and peace from God our Father." It's easy to skim right past these opening words as just another standard greeting. But Paul chose them on purpose — and today we slow down to discover why grace might be the most important word we keep racing past.

In Day 5 of our Colossians devotional series, we dig into the very heart of the gospel.

In this devotional, we explore:

→ Why Paul opens so many letters with the word "grace" — and why it's never throwaway language → The crucial difference between justice (getting what you deserve), mercy (not getting the punishment you deserve), and grace (getting a gift you didn't earn) → Why grace is so easy to celebrate in theory — but so hard to actually receive → How our performance-driven culture makes grace feel almost impossible to accept → A deeply personal and humbling story from the dark days following a stroke — and what a spouse's love revealed about the nature of grace → Why we are called "God's holy people" — not because of our holiness, but because Christ's righteousness is credited to our account → How truly understanding grace transforms our motivation — from exhausting ourselves to earn, to serving out of gratitude and security

Key takeaway: "Grace doesn't make you passive. It changes your motivation. When grace moves from an idea to a reality, it changes everything."

If you're someone who's wired to achieve, earn, and prove yourself, this devotional is an invitation to let grace confront your instinct to repay — and to finally rest in what God has already given.

📖 Scripture Focus: Colossians 1:2 🎯 Series: Colossians Chapter 1 Devotional ⏮️ Catch up on Parts 1-4 if you're just joining us! ⏭️ Coming Tomorrow: We continue our journey through Paul's opening words

Subscribe and turn on notifications so you don't miss a single verse in this rich chapter. If this teaching encouraged you, share it with someone who needs to be reminded of God's grace today.

💬 Drop a comment below: Is grace hard for YOU to accept? What gets in the way of receiving it freely?

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