Living Gracefully in a Divided World

What a week…

More school shootings, terrifying violence, the assassination of Charlie Kirk, and the social media fallout that came with all of it. The mental fatigue for these topics is very real and I’m not just trying to add to the noise, but talking about anything else feels empty for me right now.

When I first started using The Graceful Grind to express my thoughts and share what I feel God teaching and showing me, I anticipated talking about tame topics centered around my life as a wife, mother, and business owner and how I approach all of that through the lens of ministry and God’s hand in my life. But I can’t talk about a healthy work/life balance right now.

The Graceful Grind has to be about letting grace cover every area of our lives so that we never let the grind take over.

What Leads Your Life: Grace or the Grind?

Culture tells us that the grind is everything: work harder, hustle faster, and measure your worth by output; and more specifically today–you feel pressured to have a strong opinion on every single world wide event within seconds and it better be categorized on the political Left or Right.

But as believers, we’re called to ask better questions before jumping into the fray:

Heart-Check Questions Before Engaging Online

1. Is His grace sufficient for my weakness?“My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” (2 Corinthians 12:9)→ Am I relying on His grace or on my own desire to win an argument?

2. Will my words build up or tear down?“Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs.” (Ephesians 4:29)→ Will this comment bring encouragement or just add noise?

3. Am I speaking the truth in love?“…speaking the truth in love, we will grow to become in every respect the mature body of him who is the head, that is, Christ.” (Ephesians 4:15)→ Am I balancing truth with compassion, or am I letting one outweigh the other?

4. Am I being quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to become angry?“Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, because human anger does not produce the righteousness that God desires.” (James 1:19-20)→ Am I reacting emotionally, or responding with patience and wisdom?

5. Does this reflect the fruit of the Spirit?“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.” (Galatians 5:22-23)→ Do my words show the Spirit’s fruit, or do they reflect the flesh?

6. Am I seeking to glorify God or myself?“So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.” (1 Corinthians 10:31)→ Is my goal to honor Christ, or just to prove my point?

7. Am I ready to give an answer with gentleness and respect?“Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect.” (1 Peter 3:15)→ Does my tone reflect respect, even if I disagree strongly?

8. Am I remembering that my battle is not against people?“For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.” (Ephesians 6:12)→ Am I treating people as the enemy, or remembering they are image bearers of God?

9. Would silence be wiser right now?“Even fools are thought wise if they keep silent, and discerning if they hold their tongues.” (Proverbs 17:28)→ Is my input necessary, or is restraint the more godly choice?

10. Do my words point people toward Jesus?“Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone.” (Colossians 4:6)→ Will my words reflect Jesus accurately, or not?

    
    

When grace leads, we can engage in conversations—even public ones—with kindness instead of harshness and respond to social issues through the lens of Christ’s compassion rather than cultural outrage.

As tempting as it is, as real as the outrage feels, Christians must keep their eyes fixed on Jesus and refrain from ungodly dialogue. I am not saying that Christians can’t be passionate, direct, truthful or even angry, for of course we know God himself displays these things as does his son, Jesus. (Exodus 32:9–10; Nahum 1:2–3; John 2:14–16; Mark 3:5; Matthew 23:27–28; Matthew 16:23 and more)

But in our anger, we must not fall into sinful behavior. (Ephesians 4:26)

Grace in Every Area

Grace isn’t just a spiritual concept we keep tucked away for Sunday or reserved for people close to us. It should shape every part of who we are:

• Parenting: Do my kids see a parent whose love is steady, even when they mess up? How do they hear me speak about those I disagree with?

• Friendships: Do my friends experience grace in my presence, or do they feel judged and measured?

• Work and Passions: Am I creating from a place of joy, or grinding from a place of fear, insecurity and self reliance?

• Public Engagement: When I speak about social issues or share in public conversations, do my words drip with grace or grind with pride?

Let’s not forget what Grace means to us as Christians…

“For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast.” (Ephesians 4:26)

Living Gracefully in a Divided World

One of the hardest areas to let grace lead is in our engagement with culture—especially politics. We live in a society that pressures us to plant our flag firmly with one political party, as if our faith could be reduced to a platform. But here’s the truth: our first allegiance is to Jesus Christ.

Jesus never asked His followers to be known by their political leanings; He asked us to be known by our love (John 13:35). That doesn’t mean we shouldn’t engage in important issues, because we should—it means that when we do, we must do it with grace leading the way.

Ask yourself:

• Do my social media posts reflect the grace that has been extended to me by Christ?

• Do my private conversations about politics, culture, and current events sound like someone rooted in the fruit of the Spirit—or do they sound like another angry voice adding to the noise?

It’s not about avoiding truth, or as some have criticized me for, being lukewarm in the public sphere. It’s about speaking the truth in love (Ephesians 4:15). Too often, we’ve seen Christians sacrifice grace in order to “win an argument.” But in doing so, we forget that the goal is not to score points; it’s to point people to Jesus.

Sometimes these arguments are even between believers visible to the rest of the world, and I can’t help but wonder what we look like to someone far from God in need of an encounter with His truth.

“Don’t have anything to do with foolish and stupid arguments, because you know they produce quarrels. And the Lord’s servant must not be quarrelsome but must be kind to everyone, able to teach, not resentful.” (2 Timothy 2:23–24)

Grace and Truth Together

John 1:14 tells us that Jesus came “full of grace and truth.” Not half grace and half truth. Not grace for the people we agree with and truth for the ones we don’t. Full of both. Our world has enough outrage and enough grind. What it needs are believers who lead with grace, rooted in truth, and firmly standing for Christ as his ambassador.

Reflection Questions

• Where in my life is the grind leading more than grace?

• How might my parenting, friendships, or work look different if grace led the way?

• Do my political conversations or social media posts reflect Christ’s grace and truth, or just cultural noise?

Resource I’m Loving

I enjoy pointing you to a resource I’m loving so you can also check it out, but right now this is what I’m leaving here: Read your Bible (the best resource you have!!), Prayer every single day – I mean like get on your knees in your kitchen floor and cry out to God for him to move in our world today, and get involved, not just attending like a visitor or spectator, but get integrated with a group of Bible believing Christians at a church that is committed to teaching the Bible and standing firm in the gap we live in today. There is no perfect church. Be obedient, find one, and participate in your role as a part of the body of Christ with joy.

Lastly, engage in conversations outside of social media. Our complex thoughts cannot be expressed accurately in 120 characters, short-form videos or instagram comments. Start a conversation, earn trust, build relationships, and love your freaking neighbor.

A Prayer for Grace-Led Living

Lord, thank You for the gift of grace that covers every part of our lives. Help us not to measure ourselves by productivity, performance, or politics, but by Your love. Teach us to let grace lead—in our homes, our friendships, our work, our public conversations, and in how we engage with a divided world. Make us people who are full of grace and truth, just like Jesus. Amen.

In need of grace,

Monica Lynch