Some of this began during Life Group last night...
Going to try an use only "I" in this post. Which if you read previous posts you'll see a lot of "we". If Evan sees this, he'll be proud.
Because of Christ I have been given gifts from God. And if I think about a phrase from a few years ago, the gifts I have been given have been "Super Sized".
God gives me LOVE. But not just everyday, normal kinda love. He gives me His love which is unconditional. So because I have God's love I can love like God...
unconditionally. Now I can't do it alone. I have to rely on the source. I can barely begin to even love apart from God much less love unconditionally.
God gives me JOY. Joy is different from happiness. Happiness is conditional, circumstantial. This super-sized joy is over abundant. It doesn't make me constantly gitty or goofy. It's a background feeling but not based on feelings. It's a smile instead of a frown. It's a sparkled in a tearful eye.
God gives me PEACE. It's a peace that passes understanding. Which means it makes me and others scratch their heads. Because this peace shouldn't hold up under duress. Unspeakable life events are met with this peace. Since it passes understanding it can't really be explained.
God gives me HOPE. This hope is not like a star struck person. It's also not simply wishful thinking. It's a confidence that God has everything under control and that regardless of how this looks, everything's gonna be OK. Better than OK, eventually everything will be right...correct...in it's right place...perfect.
Now I don't always live like I have these gifts. Too often they are shelved. I don't use them as they were intended. Sometimes I treat them like a tie I got for Father's Day.
Abba Father, thank you for these and so many other gifts that You've given. Forgive me for taking them for granted and help me to live them out so that others will want them and then give me the willingness to share.
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