“Grace in a Divided World”

For something so central to the gospel, grace might be the hardest thing for us to actually live. We preach it. We sing about it. We quote the verses. But if we’re honest, many of us still act like God’s favor can be gained or lost — like it’s a probationary period we’re trying to survive. But grace — real grace — doesn’t play by those rules.
Grace breaks the system.
It gives the opposite of what’s deserved.

1. Grace Is Not Fair — It’s Free

BOOK > What’s So Amazing About Grace? - Philip YanceyPhilip Yancey said, “Grace isn’t about fairness; it gives the opposite of what’s deserved.”

That’s the scandal of the gospel.
The obedient son doesn’t get the feast.
The late-arriving worker gets paid the same.
The sinner walks away justified, and the religious man walks away confused.Grace turns the ladder upside down. And that’s not just a theological point — it’s a leadership challenge.Because when we lead, we often want fairness, predictability, control.
But grace? Grace interrupts that. It calls us to surprise people with mercy.

2. Grace Begins Where Difference Begins

Yancey said, “It doesn’t take much grace to be around people who look like you, think like you, or vote like you. Real grace happens when you’re with people who challenge you.”

That hits home in our world right now — a world divided by politics, opinions, and outrage. It’s easy to talk about unity when everyone agrees. But leadership means going first in showing grace across difference.

When we meet someone whose beliefs clash with ours, grace asks:
“Will I lean into hostility — or into curiosity?”
“Will I try to win — or try to understand?”That’s not weakness. That’s discipleship.

3. Grace Listens Before It Speaks

Yancey learned this as a journalist. He said, “If I start an interview by saying, ‘You’re wrong,’ the person shuts down. But if I ask, ‘Help me understand why this matters to you,’ they open up.”

Imagine if our homes, our staff teams, and our churches sounded more like that. Listening doesn’t mean you agree — it means you care enough to see someone’s humanity.

Jesus did that constantly.
He sat with the people who were in the wrong, either in hostility toward him or hostility to God’s law — tax collectors, prostitutes, zealots, Pharisees.

Everyone around Him was offensive in some way, and yet they wanted to be near Him.
Why? Because His grace was magnetic.

4. Grace Is Leadership in Motion

Yancey said, “Grace means giving the benefit, not getting the credit.” That’s the kind of leadership the world needs right now — leaders who don’t keep score, who aren’t quick to cancel or condemn, who don’t just talk about grace but embody it in the way they treat people.

Grace is not passive. It’s a choice — every day — to give what others don’t deserve, because that’s exactly what we’ve received from Christ.

Closing Challenge:

This week, think about one person who’s hard for you to extend grace to — maybe someone you lead, someone in your family, or someone online.Then pray:

“Lord, help me to treat them not as they deserve, but as You’ve treated me.”

Because the world doesn’t need more people shouting for fairness.
It needs more leaders modeling grace.

And that starts with us.