Grace is not STUFF!

Grace is always person-to-person.  Someone who is not obligated to show you favor or kindness, and it could go either way, and you couldn't complain if they turned away from you, well, they show you favor and kindness.  That is grace.  That is how the Bible always uses grace.

That means that if  you are not talking about a person-to-person regard, you are talking about something different than Biblical Grace.

Sadly, many Christians talk about grace as if it were a commodity or substance like gas or electricity.  They say "I've got a big challenge ahead, I'm going to need lots of grace" as if they could stock up their reserves like Joseph saving Egyptian corn for the seven years of famine.

No, no, no, no, no.  Just no.

I heard on the Catholic radio station the other day the announcer talking about prayer for the Pope, that Mary would give the Holy Father the Grace needed to ...    Let's not even get into the subject of Mary.  But consider the concept of grace that is assumed.  The Pope has big demands ahead, so he's going to need lots of grace in his tank.  He needs to power-up and have a Full Charge.

I point to the Roman Catholic concept not to pick on them particularly, but to admonish my fellow Protestants to re-think their concept of grace.  If Grace is Stuff, and you might Run Low, and thus Need More, then wouldn't it make a certain kind of sense to turn to Mary, who, in an unfortunate Latin mis-translation, is said to be "full of grace?"    If she has "it" and we need "it" then it only makes sense to ask her for some, no?

But GRACE IS NEVER AN "IT."  Where, oh where does the Bible ever talk about grace like that?  Grace is always person-to-person favor.  There's no tank to keep it in.  There's only another face to see it in, and you have to be keep looking.