You have shopped with care, expending funds, energy and intellect to place before your beloved a truly unique and valuable gift. And when the gift is opened it is given only a moment's notice before your beloved enthusiastically opens other packages in the search for blingy, shallow and even dangerous items touted by the culture of "me" as what we deserve to make us happy.
I know I would have little patience for such behavior.
Yet we do that every day to a God who gives us His Son so that we might have the "free gift of God which is eternal life."
We poor human beings are so easily distracted by everything from great challenges to great material blessings, always thinking we will get around to thinking seriously about God later when our schedules calm down, when we are through school, when we have kids, when we get the kids raised, when we are less stressed caring for our aging parents, when our careers are assured, when money is more plentiful, when time is not in such short supply.
And what does God do? Does He shoot lighting bolts from the clouds? Does He ignore us to get even? Does He give all the good stuff to those who are pious? No, none of that.
God loves, woos, and cares for us with eternal patience longing to fill us with peace, joy, hope and a future of purpose and growth. If only we can escape the confines of our human perspective of time and importance, to instead give Him our attention, our conversation, our willingness to learn how to accept His finest gifts!
This is my Christmas Prayer for us all: Gracious Lord, Almighty God, thank You for loving us even when we are foolish. Thank you for always being willing to listen, teach, love and guide us. Send Your spirit that we might be still and know that You are God. and that I am Your beloved child. I love you so. AMEN
"The wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Jesus Christ our Lord." Romans 6:23 (NRSV)
I know I would have little patience for such behavior.
Yet we do that every day to a God who gives us His Son so that we might have the "free gift of God which is eternal life."
We poor human beings are so easily distracted by everything from great challenges to great material blessings, always thinking we will get around to thinking seriously about God later when our schedules calm down, when we are through school, when we have kids, when we get the kids raised, when we are less stressed caring for our aging parents, when our careers are assured, when money is more plentiful, when time is not in such short supply.
And what does God do? Does He shoot lighting bolts from the clouds? Does He ignore us to get even? Does He give all the good stuff to those who are pious? No, none of that.
God loves, woos, and cares for us with eternal patience longing to fill us with peace, joy, hope and a future of purpose and growth. If only we can escape the confines of our human perspective of time and importance, to instead give Him our attention, our conversation, our willingness to learn how to accept His finest gifts!
This is my Christmas Prayer for us all: Gracious Lord, Almighty God, thank You for loving us even when we are foolish. Thank you for always being willing to listen, teach, love and guide us. Send Your spirit that we might be still and know that You are God. and that I am Your beloved child. I love you so. AMEN
"The wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Jesus Christ our Lord." Romans 6:23 (NRSV)
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