Monday, August 15, 2011

Petty, Pouty Punk

So what I want to talk about today is how God has merged His love for us and loving others into one piece that is greater than the sum of the two parts. The two go hand and hand to mean more than they do on their own. God’s love for us is astounding on its own, but when it’s coupled with loving others it is even more vivid to us. “No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us” (1 John 4:12). And coming right back around, we cannot love as we ought without His love.

Just this year, God has revealed the antidote of what has plagued me for years when it comes to loving others. You may be like me (hopefully not), but I can get jealous. It can be over someone’s singing or musical ability. It can be some position they have. It can be over them catching someone’s eye. It can be over your sister winning Pretty, Pretty Princess and you turning into Petty, Pouty Punk. I’m not proud of this.

When I feel jealous, it’s usually because I’m insecure or discontent with what I have. Learning about God’s intimate, detailed love helps take that away. God knows what we need and makes a way to provide for it before we are even aware. And when I’m looking around at what everyone else has, I’ve taken my eyes off the source of life. “He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things?” (Romans 8:32). What is so ridiculous is I get jealous about what I don’t have and eventually hear that voice say to me, “Did you even ask me for this?”

It took me realizing God loves and cares for me, cares about the stupid things as well as the big things. He sees me and has a plan and will provide for me. He sees you too and will meet your needs and satisfy you more than money, positions, and popularity ever could.

So let’s stop making it about other people and how much they have and how little we have and instead, go to our Heavenly Father who gives good gifts when we are ready for them. I don’t blame Him at all for not giving me talents or positions when I’m acting like a brat. Let’s recognize He is all we need and humbly lay our requests at His feet.

Then we can rejoice with each other over how gracious God is that He would give to us and use us for His perfect purposes.

“Which of you fathers, if your son asks for a fish, will give him a snake instead? Or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!” Luke 11:11-13

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