Day 98: Grace: The buzzword

As I've been trying to find my way back to God, I have been reading A LOT of self help books and memoirs. All of them have had a religious foundation to them. As I do this reading, I've discovered one word being used over and over again. "Grace"! This is almost a religious buzzword lately.

So, then I think: What EXACTLY is Grace?

Grace is defined in several ways:

Beauty----as in she swam with grace

A favor or pardon from a superior....as in Her boss showed her grace for being late

So, then I suppose "By the grace of God" means that God is beautiful and will forgive us for our sins as in God will show you grace for telling a lie. Or that God will protect us---as in By the grace of God, he escaped the accident.

My grandmother's name was Grace and she was a saint. Ironically, my affair partner's niece is named Grace and I WAS her godmother.

Is it our sole purpose to earn grace from God so that we will be allowed into the kingdom of heaven?

Corinthians 12:9

But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me.