Remember being a child and learning something new and the elation that you felt? Perhaps, you learned to whistle, or ride a bike, or write your name.
For me, the memorable moment was when I sat down to teach myself to write. My mom had taught me the alphabet and she taught me to write letters. So, I sat down and thought of all the words that I thought were written with just one letter, i.e C – see/sea, I – eye, B – bee, N – an, P – pea, etc.. I ran in with my little piece of paper, proclaiming, “Look what I did!” Boy, was I disappointed when I found out that I was mistaken. There was a lot more to writing words than just writing what I heard. But my mom gave me a list and helped me to begin writing actual words.
I had taken what my mom gave me — the alphabet — and thought I figured out the secret. Although I was wrong, she didn’t leave me there. She had given me the basics, laid the foundation, and now, was giving me the tools and bricks to begin to build. Because of the alphabet that she taught me and the list of words that she wrote out, I am able to sit here and write this blog that God has given me to write.
But it wasn’t my mom who gave me what I needed. It was God who gave my mom the ability to learn for herself, so that she could then teach me. It was God who gave me the ability to learn and the desire (even at that young age) to write.
But, how many of us look at our lives and the possessions we have, or the ministries that we have, and declare, “Look what I did?” That includes our husbands, children, ability to work, jobs, ministries, etc..
The scripture tells us that, “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change.” James 1:17. There is not a good gift that we have been given that is not from God. Whether we acknowledge God or not, there is not a truly good gift, that has not come from His loving hands.
We think that we have the job and/or ministries that we do because we are just that awesome. We think our children praise us because we are that amazing. And, we think we have the homes and lives that we do because we built it. We proclaim to the world, “Look what I have done.” Guess again.
We have the jobs and/or ministries that we do because God gave us the bodies and brains to even do them. God gave us the tools to do it. He gave us the lives we have by giving us the bricks to build it. “You made all the delicate, inner parts of my body and knit me together in my mother’s womb.” Psalm 139:13
God gave us (or should I say loaned us) our children. And they praise us because He also gave us love. Scripture says, “We love him, because he first loved us.” 1 John 4:19. He also created our children to honor us. “Children, obey your parents in everything, for this pleases the Lord.” Colossians 3:20. When they don’t, it is typically because we haven’t raised them to love and fear God either.
We are — and have — nothing apart from God. We are capable of nothing, apart from God. He formed us from the dust and to dust we shall return. “By the sweat of your face you shall eat bread, till you return to the ground, for out of it you were taken; for you are dust, and to dust you shall return.” Genesis 3:19.
God laid the foundation and gave us the bricks to build this life. It has nothing to do with “what I did”.
Truth be told, God wanted a far better life for me than I could even imagine, but I rejected Him and His plan and instead made a mess! My life was a miserable, chaotic, mess, before Jesus became Lord of it.
But praise be to God “I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.” Galatians 2:20.
I don’t have some incredible job where everyone thinks I am awesome. I don’t have a big fancy home filled with material possession (obsessions). My children aren’t perfect (in anyone’s eyes but mine and God’s lol 😉 ).
But what I do have, I have because of what Jesus accomplished on the cross for me/us. I have a life filled with the things of God: love, peace, patience, joy, hope understanding, more love, and FORGIVENESS, etc. I have an abundant life, not because of “what I have done”. But because of what He did, at the cross, and continues to do every single day of my life.
Father God, forgive me for those years of rejection. Forgive me for the mess that I made of my life. Forgive me for not raising my children to love, honor, trust and praise you from the very beginning. And Father, please forgive me when I have proclaimed, “look what I did”, when in reality, it was you. Forgive me for robbing you of the glory and honor that ONLY YOU deserve! Thank you for the shed blood of Christ that allows me to even be forgiven and to have a relationship with you.
Have you made a mess of your life, the way that I did. Have you been taking credit for the few good things that have gone well in your life, like I did? Would you like to be rid of the chaos and to trust someone else to lead? Jesus is that someone.
God devised a plan for us to be forgiven and reconciled to Himself. It was through the shed blood of Jesus Christ. God wants a personal and intimate relationship with you. He wants to help you through the chaos. If you do not have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, please go to our Life Preserver page (https://forgiven-n-loved.com/life-preserver/) and pray the prayer that is outlined there. God is waiting!
Luv ya!
