Drops of Sunshine - Daily Bread

 

 

 

 

 

 I'm a nature fan and I love trees. Like our bodies, trees have many parts but they are all associated with one tree. Likewise, we may have different branches, but we are all apart of the body of Christ. Whether in North America, Asia, or wherever, if we are followers and believers of Christ, we are brethren.

I've recently fallen for a froyo pop brand that has a awesome tagline that if you don't love it, it's free. I didn't notice at first because I was too busy loving it! Truth is, we find ourselves with a similar experience in our faith. At times, we are too busy reaping the benefits of God repeatedly coming through for us. When obstacles along that path creep up, doubt sometimes begins to overshadow the many things he has already done for us. Our assurance that God will not fail is in our experience. He too comes with that 100% guarantee.

I once heard someone say that our souls must be awfully important if God and Satan are at war over them. That's something to think about. More so, if my life is so vital that God would gift the life of his only begotten son, and that only begotten son, Jesus, would willingly lay it down, then this is an invaluable gift I can't and should not want to refuse. 

As a child in school, the concept of being different was foreign. No one wanted to be different or unique. It would make us stand out and probably be picked on. The "in crowd" is where you wanted to be. Years of acquired wisdom later, I know there is so much to treasure about being uniquely us. God didn't make us to be clones of one another. Yet, even with all of our differences, he loves each of us. That's the "in crowd" I want to be a part of.

The things that are precious and dear to us are invaluable. We simply can't place a price tag on their value. When we find ourselves struggling with our self-worth, remember that God's love for us is unmatched. There is no one who would ever love us more than God himself. He desires so much good for us and we have to reach a point where all we want to delight in is his goodness.

 Sometimes, we can be our own worst critic. We are quick to point out our own flaws, but will easily forgive the same shortcomings in someone else. So, we need to take out the time to remind ourselves that even with all our flaws and imperfections, God loves us. We need to do the same.

As a kid, I can recall how gratifying it always was not to be the last one that was chosen when we'd choose teams for sport or a game. We would feel horrible if we weren't picked right away and would get even more nervous as the numbers dwindled down. If we were picked last, it always felt like we weren't really wanted, but the team was forced to accept us. We should be exceedingly glad that even if we are "last", we are never unwanted in God's eyes.

When we are faced with uncertainties, we often seek after those with wisdom. Someone who lived our experience or someone we know wants the best for us. God desires the good for us. Whenever we find ourselves faced with difficulty or situations we may not understand, we can ask him for direction. 

You know when someone comes before you with no sincerity. You can even tell at times when you were an afterthought or not the original choice. It hurts because it feels like you weren't as important or wanted as everyone else. Rest assured, we were not afterthoughts for God. From the very beginning, we were a part of the plan. So we should display bolder faith in our spiritual lives. 

 Reflecting on the magnitude of the love that God has for us should inspire us to be more intentional about the quality time we spend in his presence. Rather than treat every moment as an opportunity to talk about ourselves, spend a little more time thinking about him.

Once we have an understanding of true love, then we can more readily recognize the short comings. Not so much in others, but in ourselves. Those moments when we weren't so forgiving or gracious are under the spotlight. Rather than be overcome by guilt or shame, embrace the learning opportunity and strive to be a better you with each new day that arrives. 

Jesus is the reason for the season! With that in mind, it's always very humbling to remember that, in all our imperfections, his life had a price that none of us are in a position to be able to pay. This type of sacrifice was a gift and it allows us to be here today. Let's not be so focused on Christmas decorations and tangible gifts for one another that we forget to acknowledge him.

I was thinking of how when someone learns they are expecting a child. They haven't held this child in their arms yet, don't know what they will look like, or what type of personality they will have, but they love them already. Then I think of God's love. His omniscience makes it so that he knows the answer to all those things. Who we are before we're born. What life we'll live, good or bad, and the choices we make. Yet, he loves us anyway. That is matchless love! 

I've often heard that love is hard, but it's quite the opposite once you begin to understand what it is. Learning to value the love that God has for me was foundational for setting a standard and recognizing what I did not have to accept. 

There truly is no greater love than the love that God has for us. We may feel neglected or overlooked by those around us but we can rest assured that we are never an afterthought to God. His love, grace, and mercy are benefits ready and waiting for us every day.