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Some friends and I often talk about our “grace bucket.” We’re usually talking about when it’s empty, as in “that person emptied the grace bucket.” It’s our way of indicating that while we were willing to extend consideration, from our perspective, the person who we were dealing with had “used up” all their chances. We had extended ourselves for the last time, and the person would be left to deal with the consequences without the benefit of the grace we had previously given them.

Recently, when I was feeling depleted, it occurred to me how grateful I was that God didn’t have a limit to His grace; that there wasn’t a point where I had “used up” His consideration. Greater still, when I was feeling like I had no more grace to give, I could go to Him for a refill. His grace is so continuous, so overwhelming, that going to Him isn’t like receiving a fill-up from a fountain, but it’s like being immersed in a waterfall. He doesn’t give just a little grace off and on, His grace is continuously and abundantly being poured over me. And when I need some more to show others, His grace can flow through me.

There will probably still be times when I feel like I’ve given people more chances than they deserve. And there will probably still be times that I’ll feel empty and deflated. But I’m so grateful to know where to go to be awashed in grace, and the Source that will fill me.

It wasn’t until I was older that I learned that when girls got all dressed up for a night out, most of the time, although they stated that they were trying to attract a guy, usually they were looking for the compliments and acceptance of their friends. Generally speaking, guys weren’t going to know if you were wearing Juicy Couture, or the Kmart special, but your friends would. And as much as you wanted a guy’s attention, you wanted your friends’ affirmation as well.

The sad thing about all this is that our clothes don’t give us an indication of what really matters about an individual. It’s why our parents said “Don’t judge a book by it’s cover” (And, by the way, as a former publishing manager, I’m here to tell you – everyone forgets that when actually purchasing a book.) Too often I’ve found that I’ve made snap judgments based on my first impressions, only later to discover that those initial indications were misguided and wrong.  My first impressions were useless and they should have been discarded just as quickly as they were made.

For the Christian, however, it’s not our attire that people should notice. Colossians 3 says that we are to be clothed “with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience” (v. 12). These things are should be what covers us; it’s these things that should form others first impressions. Instead of what we wear, people should notice our heart. Instead of being attracted to our attire, people should be attracted to our attitudes. And this attraction should point them to Christ.

It’s easy to spend a significant amount of time picking out just the right outfit, to try and determine how I want others to see me. In the future, I hope I spend more time thinking about how I want them to see Christ. And then, maybe, their first impressions will be worth something.