But, I'm also thankful that Paul talks about his problem because he models how Christians live with difficult circumstances, he shows us how to live with grace. The case can be made that the most important word for Paul was charis , grace. He preached about grace because he knew its power first-hand. The knowledge of God's grace flowed from Paul's encounter with the Risen Christ, leading him to stake his identity and his future upon it, trusting that through every condition and circumstance God's grace abounds. In fact, God is most real for us exactly in those moments when we are thrown back upon God's grace, in a childlike trust in the power of this grace to heal and redeem and make sense out of our lives.
Grace means favor and mercy.
It means forgiveness. It means acceptance. Grace is a love so profound that it binds up the brokenhearted and heals the deep wounds of the human spirit. It looks at the condition of our lives and instead of judging and rejecting us, extends and provides a way through to new life. Grace is the operative force in the kingdom of God.