Tag Archives: Goodness

When an imitation of the real thing is great!

Standard
When an imitation of the real thing is great!

There is no lack of things to do today; every day.

Work. Play. Kids. Friends. Responsibilities. Desires. They all compete for a place in our hearts and in our lives. Every day is a new day to choose what is good and what is worthy.

What will I do today?

How will I act?

Who will I affect with kindness…or lack thereof?

This.

This is the very question that we should be asking God each and every morning. What? What would you have me do? How should I spend the time that I have been given?  For each day is a gift. A gift from the Creator. And we are called to become creators.

“Be Imitators of God, therefore, as dearly loved children and live a life of love.”

Ephesians 5:1,2

Love. This is what is asked of us. No – commanded of us. Jesus said that this is the second greatest commandment. To “love others as we love ourselves”, but above all to “love God with all of our heart, and all of our mind, and all of our soul.”

We love God also when we love others, for in this way we are “imitators of God”, loving those that He loves. “For God so loved the world that He sent His one and only Son.” John 14

 

worldThe world. He loves the world.  The whole world. The believers, the unbelievers, the broken, and the sinners. He loves them ALL! Every last one.

 

Not just the one who listens to Him.

Not just the one who is kind to others.

Not just the one who does good things in life.

All of them.

So, if our command is to be imitators of God, it stands to reason that we should be spending our time here loving those who God loves. Not always easy I will admit – but necessary.

My question to you today is:

 How are you going to love - today?

Who can you show God’s love to? His kindness and mercy?

Reach out and love someone with

  • A kind word
  • A helping hand
  • An unexpected gift
  • Or simply a smile

You never know when a simple act, seemingly small and ordinary, can change a person’s perspective or even their life. Some have become so accustomed to life beating them down that they don’t expect to see hope or love as they journey through their time here. It is our job as imitators of God to show them hope, kindness, mercy and love. Even to the hard to love.

What can you do today to show someone love?

I would love to hear your ideas. Let’s get the conversation started!  Consider leaving a comment!

Be blessed in all you do today, and above all – show love!

Soli Deo Gloria!

Getting Rid of Idols

Standard

“When the people saw that Moses was so long in coming down from the mountain, they gathered around Aaron and said, “Come, make us gods who will go before us. As for this fellow Moses who brought us up out of Egypt, we don’t know what has happened to him”         Exodus 32:4

 

Sometimes, when I read about how the Israelites turned from God, seemingly at the drop of a hat, I am just amazed.  God performed miracles…MIRACLES, in their presence. I wouldn’t think that you could forget something like the parting of the Red Sea, or the plagues that were brought upon the Egyptians and not the Israelites, the water from the rock or the pillars of clouds and fire that showed them the way.  You would think that with the incredible things that they saw, they would be forever worshiping the One who rescued them from slavery.  But this group of people would always be slaves, slaves to their own nature.

Moses had been gone 40 days; granted a pretty fair amount of time, and the people didn’t know where he was.  So they went back to what they knew, idol worship.  They needed something to keep their eyes on, something tangible that they could see and touch.  So Aaron obliged them, and boy was God mad!  I can’t blame him really, and when I read these passages I think to myself, “How can they turn like that after all that He did for them, I would never do that.” And yet, don’t we?

As soon as something doesn’t go our way, we think God is absent, so we try to fix it ourselves.  When God doesn’t answer our prayers the way that we think he should, we deny his presence in our lives, and we lose faith.  We get mad at Him the first chance we get and forget all of the provisions that he has given us in the past, all of the gifts, the support in hard times and the unconditional love and promises that He has made concerning our futures.  God has every right to be mad at us for our lack of holding up our end of the bargain, for doubting His hand in our lives…yet, consistent with his nature, he is a forgiving Father and wants to give us good things if we will only trust in him.  Trust in His goodness. Trust in His love.  Trust in His provisions.  We may not get everything we have ever wanted or everything that we feel we deserve but God knows what is best for our lives, what we need to provide a happy future and His eternal grace.  Don’t lose hope, don’t lose faith, if you can’t see God’s hand, trust His heart!

 

With faith for our futures,

Lisa