I have three furry children. One who loves me, but goes his own way more often than not. Happy go lucky, his own dog I guess you could call him. Another of my little four-legged kids, my first cat, is very angry with me right now, she wants very little to do with me, only if I bring her food is she accepting of me. The last of my children, the new cat (or the interloper as the first cat sees him), follows me around, loves my attention and lets me pretty much do whatever I want with him.
I am very sad about my first cat. I miss her love very much. I know she will come around eventually, but until then I wait for her, giving her the love she allows when she allows it. As I was cuddling with my new cat the thought struck me--I don't love him anymore than I love her. I love them both just as much. And then God spoke to my heat, "this is the way I feel about you." My heart just broke right there and then. My experience as a Christian is more like my dog (going my own way) and first cat (angry at God, mad at the world) than the new cat. And I guess I have always felt that God couldn't possible love me as much as He does someone who is obedient and doing everything right.
We all know them. Sister super-Christian who spends three hours a day in prayer and study. And Brother-darn near perfect, the one who always does everything right and evangelizes the world. Or so they seem to us strugglers. Well of course I never measured up to either of those ideals, still don't. For many years I walked around feeling second fiddle in God's eyes. But today, again, God revealed to me He loves me "just as I am." Now I have been learning this for a long time, but it was awesome to get a new revelation on it again today. I know that God loves me as much as He loves any of His children. He is pleased with me. And He loves you too--as much as any of His children and He is pleased with you too!! He told me to tell you so--yes, you reading this right now.
We do need to strive to be like my new cat. Following God closely ( I am always tripping over my new boy, he is so much underfoot). Yet we have to remember each of us have our own pace of growth set by Him. We each have our own way of prayer, study, evangelism--all to be set by the Lord. So be who God is leading you to be. Don't try to be someone else. And don't feel less than someone else. He made you fearfully and wonderfully and loves you "just as you are."
Today:
I am glad this lesson has been brought to me again. I can never get enough of hearing God loves me and never be reminded enough of how I am His treasured child. I can honestly say I doubt these truths so much less than I used to, although I still do occasionally go down the comparison road. I turn around a lot faster now too! LOL. Never think you are less than someone else in your Father's eyes. He has always, does now and will always love You completely, knowingly and eternally.
Thank You Lord. I am humbled and thrilled by this love of Yours! Let it sink down into every fiber of all of our beings so that we don't even take a breath without knowing we are loved by you.
When the lies of Satan that say you are unlovable or will never measure up stand on the truth of God's love. Happy Valentine's Day
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