The Theft of Gratitude

It begins with something that doesn't quite go how you think it should have for God. Then something else happens like that...and yet another. Or perhaps you do something, say something, or even feel something you know that you shouldn't; but you can't stop whatever it is. Before you know it, you're not looking at God quite the same as you were a few weeks ago before all this stuff happened. There's anger, bitterness, a sense of entitlement...and most likely a cynical slant to any words you say about God. Most of all, you're left in a place where you can't help but to focus on all the questions, instead of the character and faithfulness of your God.

That folks, is how gratitude is stolen from us.

Colossians 3:15-17

¹⁵Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. ¹⁶Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God. ¹⁷And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.

Philippians 4:5-7

⁵Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. ⁶Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. ⁷And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Gratitude and Thanksgiving were designed to be received by God...and come from us. We're built to be grateful, to give thanks. Why? Well, it's because Jesus did all the work on the cross and the Holy Spirit now comes alongside of our hearts and lives to instruct and shape us. Quite simply...we were built to be grateful and give thanks to God because it is all that is left for us to do.

So often we enter situations with the very best of intentions, forgetting the most critical piece of the equation. Anything that is done for God, is done by God. Whether it is the unjustified sacrifice of Christ speaking into someone's life or whether it is the Holy Spirit breaking down walls of anger, hatred, or bitterness; God is doing the work, not you.

Who are you to think that you've done something for God that he did not, or could not do for Himself? You think you gave up a week's worth of work to go on a missions trip without the help of God? There are countless examples of daily things, from huge life changing things to very small and trivial things that we fail to recognize God in them...and it amputates the power of the cross. It amputates the ministry of the Holy Spirit. If we would just see these things for what they are and call them like we see them I think our hearts would better remember gratitude and thanksgiving.

However, as the example above, when you find yourself in seasons where it's just not going your way, we have trouble with gratitude and thanksgiving. It's no secret to God that you are troubled, that your heart has hardened regarding Him. God is not surprised, and He hasn't been since the beginning:

Genesis 3:1-10

Now the serpent was more cunning than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said to the woman, “Has God indeed said, ‘You shall not eat of every tree of the garden’?”
² And the woman said to the serpent, “We may eat the fruit of the trees of the garden; ³ but of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God has said, ‘You shall not eat it, nor shall you touch it, lest you die.’”
⁴ Then the serpent said to the woman, “You will not surely die. ⁵ For God knows that in the day you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.”
⁶ So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree desirable to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate. She also gave to her husband with her, and he ate. ⁷ Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves coverings.
⁸ And they heard the sound of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God among the trees of the garden.
⁹ Then the LORD God called to Adam and said to him, “Where are you?”
¹⁰ So he said, “I heard Your voice in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; and I hid myself.”

Unfortunately though, God has nevertheless had to respond and adjust for our the attitude of our hearts. I say "adjust" loosely, because the idea that God is all knowing and sees time differently than us goes toward the argument that He didn't really need to adjust anything. Again, He is not surprised at our unfaithfulness.

This also goes to point out that gratitude is in fact stolen from us. Adam and Eve are existing in perfect relationship with God in Eden. The deception of the serpent steals away this relationship aspect and creates a chasm between God and people. God has not changed here, people have. The hearts and minds of Adam and Eve have been altered by the deception. No longer are actions coming from the same place in their hearts...moreover they see God differently (and probably the serpent differently too). Because they see God differently, their reaction to God is different, and might I note...quite inaccurate all of a sudden.

Ah yes, to the point. It's quite so with us as well is it not? Our paradigm of God changes, even if only for a few hours, and our hearts change. That's the thing about the spiritual realm, it has the power to change your heart. God can change your heart, but Satan can make you do things that leave that same heart scarred, and damaged which also has consequences.

When temptation or a bad season of life comes along, it's a question. Will you let God shape your response to Him, or will you let something else?

The Spiritual Locker Room

Have you ever been telling a story to a group of people, and they can't help but to follow-up your story with the words, "If you think that's (insert adjective here), wait until you hear this!" Then, they proceed to tell the wildest, most action-packed drama filled story you've ever heard in your life and try to pass it off as true? Ever had that happen?

The other posts on this blog are all about God...so don't worry, we'll get there. I think the action I described in the previous paragraph is truly a pet peeve of mine. It's not always the other person's fault, sometimes people can't help but be rude, and act in complete disregard of your hope to relationally connect with others...right? I'm sure other people have written about this before, but I call this the 1-up syndrome.

The 1-up syndrome is defined (by me) as: The inability to funnel the presentation of your life experience in tandem with the relational, emotional, and sometimes mental well being of those you care about. I know, it's just not fair of me to expect so much of other people - - especially in a society where we've got to pry real relationship out of each other with a proverbial crowbar.

Actually, when I think about it, we're really kind of sensitive. I the vast majority of us who are sane and seeking relationships have a soft spot. You know, the spot where if someone else doesn't handle it with care it will break apart and you'll never forget the insincerity of that person for years? In general, I think we all have things that we can't help but to take personally; and to be honest this is probably one of mine. But, because I can't help but think about how God works in absolutely everything...I'm led to share something related to the 1-up syndrome I'll refer to as "False Humility."

See, it was all fun and games (kind of), until I was telling a story one time about how God had been awesome in my life. I think I was talking about my trip to Honduras or something. I don't remember the exact story. Someone in the group said almost the words I described above, "If you think that's awesome, wait until you hear my story about God!"

Let me hit pause and apologize for the cynicism that's about to come forth. It might get thick, but I can't help it. I realize that this person was probably just trying to share something great that God had done in their life. It's just that it was framed up against something I had said and made out to be the empire state building to my hot dog stand. Has empathy been completely obliterated in today's culture?

Back to the story. I felt like the person needed a lesson in pride reduction or something! What right did they have to prop up their experience of God next to mine and minimize something they hadn't been through!? That's when my wheels started spinning about it. (Not to mention, I didn't even hear the other person's story...which is a whole other matter). 2 things were bothering me. First, were the people even going to remember my story now? Second, did this person even hear me? Did you hear the common denominator in those 2 statements? That's right...ME.

So often we tell stories (clearly...I tell stories) about God, but God is not the center of those stories. In my own mind, I'm the center of the stories, and they are all about what God has done for...ME. Ahem. While I maintain my initial point that relationship demands a bit more empathy, I also recognize that most people need some work and many of them don't even realize it. Isn't that the trouble. You're the center of your own story.

Here it comes. The tie in to why the title is "The Spiritual Locker Room." We just have to rate everything! So much of our current culture is people silently (or not silently) rating or measuring what something means to them. A story, an experience, a person, a job, their children, their spouse, church, God, etc. Pick anything, and I bet you know where it falls in a long line of importance you've racked up in your head. What are the rules for how you measure? What purpose does measuring at all serve us?

Before I was in High School, I used to hear "horror" stories about how when I got to the locker room, all the boys were going to get together and measure. I'll leave it at that. I heard rumors that girls locker rooms were the same. Like it was some kind of status symbol. Depending on who you are...it might still be; but that is neither here nor there. The point is that if you're trying to live your life God's way, looking at measuring anything against anyone Else's anything isn't really the way to go. Why? One word: ENVY.

This post now kind of ties into the one on Warring in the Spirit because Envy is a slippery enemy. It comes for everyone, Christian and not alike. Oh boy does it come after you. Look at today's culture. Here's a snapshot (Reality TV, Sex, Entertainment, Gadgets, Family). Ever envied one of those things. Ever envied someone on Survivor, or a beautiful actor / model (male or female), a friend who had a 5 zillion inch flat-screen TV, a cool new phone or mp3 player, or someone who had a family - when you so desperately want one of your own? We set ourselves up to envy others and it has chipped its way into our relationships so that we don't even know it's there most of the time. Obviously, my spin on this is God-related.

To reel in what we've talked about, we started with the 1-up syndrome, moved to false humility, and have brought the discussion to how envy plays a huge role in our lives in today's culture. Humility is so hard. Can you imagine that Jesus lived his life and never envied 1 thing? Not $$$, not a marriage relationship, not that he didn't have food in the desert; not a thing. I can't even imagine it; I can't go 24 hours without envying something someone else has...or wanting something I don't. It's ridiculous when I think about it. If it is this hard anyway, then why do we (as Christians) stand for it in our relationships with one another? I think we as a whole are most guilty with material possessions. But everything really applies.

OK, the point. The point is this: pick and choose when to share your stuff. Use the Holy Spirit a little and think about your audience. God is awesome, and we should share Him with each other often! A little compassion and empathy wouldn't hurt - and it might just save you some friends. Make God the center of your stories, because He is. When you recognize envy creeping into a discussion or thought process; stop it! Your brothers and sisters in Christ need you to point out that stuff to them and in them; and you need them to point it out to you in you. It will hurt the first few times until you start to realize how hurtful what you're doing is to others, to God...but most of all to yourself. Envy would love to rob you of relationships, and treasure in heaven. Don't stand for it.

I feel a little bit like I rambled on this one. Here's some scripture to put everything together. Be led by the Holy Spirit!

Galatians 5:19-27

"Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like; of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told you in time past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. But the fruit of the spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law. And those who are Christ's have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit. Let us not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another."

The Rejection of Our King

(See 1st Samuel 8 - 12)

First, a little bit about Samuel.

He's a prophet. From the beginning of Samuel's life, He was committed to the Lord. This is in large part due to His mother's faithfulness in God. She wanted a child and promised God that she would dedicate His life to God. God opened her womb and allowed her to conceive. Then Samuel, from a very young age was under the direction of Eli the prophet. Eli's sons end up very deceptive and dishonest...so God strikes the house with death. Then, Samuel basically serves as the microphone for God in Israel from that point on.

By the time we get to 1st Samuel 8, Samuel is getting older in age. Not sure how old, maybe someone smarter than me can elaborate one day, because he ends up being around for awhile after this. However, Samuel has 2 sons as well. Their names were Joel and Abijah. They were appointed judges over Israel, and unfortunately were also found dishonest and did not walk in Samuel's ways. Out of this truth, Israel demands a King.

There's the history, and we arrive in 1st Samuel 8.

1st Samuel 8:4-8 (NKJV)

"Then all the elders of Israel gathered together and came to Samuel at Ramah, and said to him, 'Look, you are old, and your sons do not walk in your ways. Now make us a king to judge us like all the nations.' But the thing displeased Samuel when they said, 'Give us a king to judge us.' So Samuel prayed to the Lord. And the Lord said to Samuel, 'Heed the voice of the people in all that they say to you; for they have not rejected you, but they have rejected Me, that I should not reign over them. According to all the works which they have done since the day that I brought them up out of Egypt, even to this day - with which they have forsaken Me and served other gods - so they are doing to you also. However, you shall solemnly forewarn them, and show them the behavior of the king who will reign over them.'"

The first thing I see is that Israel is scared. They are scared of what will happen once Samuel is gone. They believe that once Samuel is gone, "all hell" will break loose and it will be chaos. They say it right there! "Look, you are old, and your sons do not walk in your ways." This is why a king is being requested. The next statement peels back the layers of their hearts even further: "Now make us a king to judge us like all the nations."

They wanted to be like the other nations. It's subtle, but I'm going to say that this was in the hearts of the elders, and probably a huge part of the population of Israel. They wanted to fit in and be like the other nations. They had kings to lead them. They could see, and smell, and touch their leaders. Israel wants a leader they can see.

God's response is one of sadness and pain I think. He basically says to Samuel, "Don't worry Samuel - they don't hate you, they hate me. You're just caught in the middle." So you've got a godly man in Samuel, playing facilitator between the God of the universe and His chosen people. When you think about it, that's pretty much what Old Testament prophets did. They were the microphone and messenger of God so that the people could understand who their creator was and who He wanted them to be. That's somewhat a generalization, but for the purposes of this topic, it is enough.

What happens next really amazes me. The people demand a king, and Samuel says:

1st Samuel 8:11-18

And he said, "This will be the behavior of the king who will reign over you: He will take your sons and appoint them for his own chariots and to be his horsemen, and some will run before his chariots. He will appoint captains over his thousands and captains over his fifties, will set some to plow his ground and reap his harvest, and some to make his weapons of war and equipment for his chariots. He will take your daughters to be perfumers, cooks, and bakers. And he will take the best of your fields, your vineyards, and your olive groves, and give them to his servants. He will take a tenth of your grain and your vintage, and give it to his officers and servants. And he will take your male servants, your female servants, your finest young men, and your donkeys, and put them to his work. He will take a tenth of your sheep. And you will be his servants. And you will cry out in that day because of your king whom you have chosen for yourselves, and the Lord will not hear you in that day."

I mean, when you read this...doesn't it seem like madness? Think about it. Today, if someone came up to you and said that...would you go for it? Honestly, if you look at these verses one way, it sounds like taxes and a draft. You have to give 10% of everything...and I don't believe that this is talking about tithe in this case either. While that is debatable, look at the rest? Sons and daughters going away for causes the king decides are worthy? Are you sure you want your children at the mercy of anyone but the God who saved you from Egypt? This might be risky...

So Samuel basically says, "Are you sure you want this?" Israel decides there is more risk in not seeing their king than there is in agreeing to these terms that are stacked against them. The thing that gets me is the final statement in the scripture. "And you will cry out in that day because of your king whom you have chosen for yourselves, and the Lord will not hear you in that day." In other words, "You're all going to turn back to me and ask me to deliver you once you realize what you have done...and I'm not going to even hear what you have to say about this."

So, what does this have to do with anything? Let me start addressing this. Today, we have many leaders. Some are called kings, and some aren't. Israel started out here with God; this is when Moses was the microphone, and it turned into elders once the burden became too much for Moses. The burden was never too much for God, but facilitating the leadership of God's people became to much for 1 man. I would argue that God had more to say and wanted to be more involved in His people than speaking through 1 man. So, elders come into play. Responsibility and such divided, and the spirit fell on them and they now had the capacity to lead according to God's direction - but still had a choice.

As we fast forward to 1 Samuel 8, Israel rejects God. It's plain and simple, they reject Him. They choose a man to lead them (and at this point they don't even know the man), instead of the same God who delivered them from Egypt. My question is this: Do we really choose differently today as the body of Christ?

Some probably do...so I don't mean that as a blanket statement. They had 1 guy who was on display more than the rest that was communicating for God and God tells them through this guy that things are going to get worse if they take a king. They say, "Yep...we understand. We want things to get worse." It is so ironic, because we all do this in our individual lives with sin and God probably every day. We choose something tangible, something we can touch and see instead of trusting in the living God (who is, for the most part "unseen" so to speak).

We daily reject our King. The King who went to a cross for us. The One who died for our sins. The One who stepped in and paid the penalty for all the decisions (like this one), that Israel and all others made or will ever make against God. We reject that King daily too. We've been saved and promised eternal life and prosperous futures and such, and we still reject the God of the Universe.

We trade Him in for sex, $$$, pride, power, fame, glory or security for ourselves. Smart move huh?

Warring in the Spirit

---------------------------

A Picture of Battle

In the past few months it has been confirmed to me that there is a battle taking place for control of my soul. Though I’ve known this in my head for 5 years; the stakes continue to rise at an alarming rate that now cannot go unnoticed. I am in this very real phase of my life when I’m recognizing sin that I cannot atone for. To put it another way, I am recognizing and catching actions that the “sin in me” wills to commit against Him (God, or Jesus).

So this then is the picture. I stand in the middle of a battle field with the sword of the Spirit in hand. Swinging feverishly I hurry back to the ready, knowing the armies sent for me will not stop any time soon. Each moment I hope that friends will come to fight by my side the few foes I cannot wound; those who have seen & caused me to fall before. Remembering friends that have come before renews some strength, but cannot replace the real thing. I go down on one knee, my sword still at the ready…it must be at the ready. In they sweep, peering straight through to my heart. My seams begin to loosen, for they know the weaknesses I’ve chosen to leave. As the pain & suffering become too great to bear, weapons fly through the air…and connect with my enemies. The Lord’s grace surrounds me, perfecting my armor and restoring my broken heart. His will compels me, and from the heart with the Spirit my enemies are driven out. I turn to find my friends, generals of the armies of God surrounded by the prayers of His people. I surrender to them my life, for they save it each time and renew my strength in the Lord Jesus Christ, the King of Kings. To restore my soul I must mount up with them, and go to save the lost of this spirit battleground.

Praise be to our Lord Jesus Christ, to Him be the glory now and forever. Amen.

----------------------

I wrote this about 3 years ago. I recently found it, a lone entry in a notebook I had good plans to use for something visionary. Clearly, I never got to use it for what I had hoped.

In any case, I was struck at how accurate of a picture this turns out to be (at least to my understanding) of Warring in the Spirit. There is a thread of truth that needs to be present in our lives surrendered to Him; the ability to receive help from those He sends to our aid. Granted, this could look like angels like came to Daniel, and Joseph, and many others. It could look like a new perspective as you wake up in the morning and somehow "borrow" a new outlook on situations that challenge you. But what if it is a friend? What if it is someone you thought was an enemy? I suppose the most obvious question is; do you limit how God is able to reach you?

Put yourself in the equation described. Down on one knee, trying to fend of enemies that you have never before been able to wound, but are very familiar to you. It's a no win situation for you alone. Might I even go as far as to say it's even sometimes a no win situation when it's you with the Holy Spirit vs. these other things. I say that fully aware that "anything is possible with God." I do not mean to imply that the power of the Holy Spirit is trumped by any type of evil. It is very clear that the power of our God is more, better, other, separate, and infinitely greater than any evil that would come against us.

I urge you to consider though that God designed the battle differently than that. God did not design a 1 man or 1 woman take on all comers brawl (save what Jesus Christ has accomplished - that was a 1 man show...and the 1 man was fully God too). God drew up battle plans for His church so that we would have one another's back, and that all of us would be falling back on Christ for power and for endurance; for faith and using the truth empowered by the Holy Spirit as the weapons of this spiritual war.

Someone once told me that we are at war as Christians (mostly in the spirit with spiritual enemies). At the time I thought to myself, "Really? At war huh? I don't even know how to be at war in the Spirit." In many ways, I'm sure I still don't.

Much of war is dependence. When I think about war, even war as we understand it like nation against nation, war strikes me as a very dependent action. Nations choose to go to war independently, but the rules of engagement are very much a team sport. Unless it is some type of stealth sabotage or surprise mission, you go everywhere with someone else. You don't go alone, because chances are the enemy is traveling in a group too. If they ran across just you, you'd be in trouble, outnumbered, and overwhelmed. That's just common sense, right?

Then why are we so independent as Christians? Why do we tend to want to fight the sin battles alone? How is it that, even with the knowledge that God designed this Christian thing as a team deal, we separate from one another when sin strikes a weak spot, or especially when sin is plotting an attack on our lives. The enemy is tricky, and 2 enemies come ahead of the others in battle. One is named pride, and the other is named shame.

I'm convinced that one of the most difficult things for a Christian to be is sure of who he or she is in Christ. I'm talking about grounded in the truth of the gospel that claims us as adopted sons and daughters and ushers us into a loving relationship with Jesus Christ by His grace. Solid, true, grounded, reinforced faith that is unshaken. That's good defense. That's armor of God type stuff. Have you stepped through Ephesians 6 and covered yourself with the armor of God? Ever felt like you had a weak spot?

"When you are weak, He is strong." He is strong for you by the power of the Holy Spirit. He is strong for you through the power of the Holy Spirit IN OTHERS. He is strong for you in the miraculous that only God is capable of. Trust me, if you try to go it alone, pride and shame will lie in wait and pounce on you and create despair in you when you are most vulnerable...and in your time of need. Sometimes you need to call for help...and you should call for help and be unashamed to call for help. That's how God designed it. We are to reach out to Him, and to those that are fighting the battle together alongside of us.

This is real time folks. I'm not talking about calling someone you know on the phone and saying, "Man, I just messed up." Don't get me wrong, you should do that too. I'm talking about when you see it coming. What if you asked someone to just spend the day with you, because you knew it was going to be a difficult day? It's really simple stuff. I'm talking about the power of basics here. I'm not talking about getting together and speaking in tongues and stuff. (Although, if you can speak in tongues, it is proven to be a good armor reinforcer). It's just to get around other people, even if for a little while to take the edge off of temptation. We've all been there. I don't feel extremely vulnerable sharing any of this. Anyone who claims to have never been tempted I think needs to open their eyes. The spirit ones; the ones that show the battlefield.

This is all like Spirit Battles 101. I don't think it's extremely deep stuff, but it's very difficult to practice how God designed it - especially for us United States kids who preach independence every chance we get! Until next time.

Our Father...Who is in Heaven

I’m compelled to share a moment that I wish every parent could experience. I’d say all parents do, but in this day and age with so many parents missing from their children’s lives...it wouldn’t be correct.

This morning at 5:00am, just after my wife struggled through getting some food to our newborns, I found myself 1-on-1 with my 2 day old daughter. Wow, even writing the word daughter is still surreal. Anyway, she was awake and I was holding her facing me. I looked at this little person that came out of my wife’s uterus and thought to myself, “Is this really happening? Are you real girl?”

In the following few moments as her gentle weeping tapered off, I fell into a different kind of love. It took all of about 20 seconds, but more happened in that 20 seconds than I could have cultivated in my own heart if I had a lifetime to do so. The Lord my God is amazing. He is ever faithful and good.

I am the type of person that has great big dreams and envisions accomplishing them. While this is true, lots of my ideas end up spiraling around in limbo for way too long because thus far I have not found the courage to act in faith with a mentality of managing the risk involved. Today, just 2 days after my girls were born, I feel lighter than ever before. If bringing these girls into this world was my only purpose, my life was worth something special enough. For the first time ever, I feel completely content doing something…being a father. Go figure.

Then, because I’m convinced that God is a show-off, He gifted me with another moment like this one with my other daughter (also 2 days old) - my wife had twins. All the same emotions and statements apply. My heart was stretched toward infinity twice in one day. I’m awestruck, and do not have the words to give tribute to how awesome God must be; evidenced to me in the reality of my girls.

Because of this experience, I'm led to revisit what it means when God makes the claim to be "Our Father, who is in Heaven." Becoming a father the way that I did means a great deal to me. (What I mean is, God allowing me to become a father that is awestruck and grateful of the amazing miracle that these 2 children are.) When I heard their first breath, a flood of emotion and joy started scrambling around in my heart to overflow. It was their cries that did it. I couldn't see them right away when they were born (c-section), so I heard them first. It's just as much a miracle either way -- and I didn't feel slighted one bit the way it happened for me.

When I think about this in terms of God, I'm a bit taken back. It took me all of about .025 seconds to realize that there was no way out of this one...I was going to love these 2 girls no matter what. Over the next few days, it hit me. Because I experienced that as a father; my heart was stretched to allow me to understand more fully the extent to which God would go for me. Let's face it, since my girls have shown up on the scene, they have slept, ate, and gone to the bathroom lots. Other than this, there is the occasional (actually quite frequent) flailing of their arms and legs...which they can't control yet. Oh yeah, and a bunch of wimpering and crying -- can't forget that. Are you seeing the picture? Do you get the parallel?

Nothing my girls do earns my love. Maybe again, I sound like a broken record. I feel like I've written this message up on this blog every time. There must be something to it. I love them simply because they are. God loves me like I love them. He loves me simply because I am, and He chooses to love me, believe in me, hope for me, and be a faithful Father. Now get this part, because it's the difficult part. The way God loves me, is way beyond anything I can feel for my girls. God gives me a glimpse of His love for me by allowing me to be father to these precious children. See, parts of me died the day (and days following) my children were born. Parts of me were uprooted and newly cultivated that otherwise would have gone untouched. There is only one who can do that kind of work in us and spare our lives as we know it; The Holy Spirit.

When Jesus died for our sins, part of God's heart was uprooted as well. God didn't change exactly, but how he was represented to us did. When Jesus died, He was able to send the Holy Spirit to be with us. Now, instead of God being only "Our Father, who is in Heaven" He became "God with us."

So what's the point? The point is lots of people say, "If God loved me he'd do _____" or "God couldn't love someone like me." My girls can't choose whether I love them or not. That decision is up to me. If you have children, your children can't choose whether you love them or not, it's your decision to make. Children can screw up all they want to, lash out in hate, embarrass you, and hurt you in ways that no-one else is equipped to touch. The decision of whether a parent loves them is still the parent's to make. I cannot tell you that you can't love your children anymore. It just can't happen. I'm trying to make a claim that is not mine to make. God chose to love you like you love your children. Way MORE than you love your own children; but the love is the same type. You cannot decide that God doesn't love you or cannot love you any more than I can decide that you no longer love your children. Whether God loves you or not isn't really up to you, it is up to God.

What is up to you is your response to that love. How will you respond with the knowledge that the God of the universe loves you MORE than you can imagine?