Daily Self Growth Journal Pt. IV

Gratefulness Shining Through

“Love is a game that two can play and both win.”  Eva Gabor

In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent His only Son into the world, so that we might live through Him.  In this is love, not that we have loved God but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation of our sins.  Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.  1 John 4:9-11

Propitiate:  “to gain or regain the favor or goodwill of”  Merriam-Webster Dictionary

As humans we have an intense desire to earn what we have.  Well, most of us do anyway.  But, even people disposed to stealing from, and taking advantage of others want to earn what they have.  They may steal, and cheat, and rob, but they still have to live with guilt.  They still have to live with the fear of being found out.  From the time we can comprehend we are taught that nothing is free, that everything must be worked for and earned.  Sure, we may receive a gift every now and then, but someone still had to work for it.  Even the things that are stolen must be worked for.  Our salvation is no different.  Salvation comes at a price.  It’s not free.  It’s valuable and it costs a ton.  In fact it costs more than we’ll ever be able to repay.  The funny thing about us is that, we often want to pay, or at least chip in on our salvational debt.  I can hear Dana Carvey imitated George Bush in his nasally voice now.  “Can’t do it.”  “Not gonna happen.”  It’s free, it’s a gift.  There’s no possible way we can help God out on paying that bill.  Trying to pay our way to salvation is like a toddler helping to pay for dinner with a monopoly dollar.  The act is sweet, but as an adult we understand its folly.  No bill goes unpaid.  Every bill is paid by someone.  However, some bills aren’t paid by the end user.  Some are paid by another.  A stolen candy bar is paid for by the merchant.  A new bike is paid for by a mom.  And salvation has been paid for by Christ.  It’s done, it’s over, the bill is paid, and we don’t have the currency to chip in.  I remember wanting a bike when I was a kid.  I think it was $700 dollars or something.  There was no way I could have paid for it.  I was seven, I couldn’t get a job, I didn’t have access to the kind of currency needed to pay for the bike.  It was like that with most of the gifts we received as kids.  Could you imagine rejecting the greatest gift ever as a kid because you didn’t have a way to pay for it?  It’s the same with salvation.  It’s a gift.  There’s no way we can pay.  But we can accept.  God is pleading for us to accept.  He can’t return it and get what He paid for back.  In some ways the greatest act of stealing is by refusing a gift.  Because when we refuse a gift we’re saying to the giver.  You’re time, your resources, your effort it buying this gift for me doesn’t matter.  Let’s not waste Jesus’ time on the Cross.  Let’s not tell God that His Son isn’t valuable and worth our acceptance.  Let’s receive that love, that gift, and that promise.  There is no gift greater than the gift freely given by our Maker.  Not even that $700 bicycle I wanted so badly.  “You were bought with a price.  So glorify God in your body.”  1 Corinthians 6:20  When we accept that greatest gift ever given, something changes.  Everything changes.  Not because we’re trying to pay God back for what He did.  But because we can’t help but reciprocate and spread the greatest love ever portrayed and given.  When we truly accept a gift in our hearts we can’t help but be grateful.  Let’s be grateful.  It will show in everything we do.  It’s the key to God’s love shining through our lives.  It’s the source of the truest of loves.  And true love has no losers.

Daily Journaling Questions:

How did I help someone in kindness today?

What did I learn today?

What am I thankful for?

Who did I love today?

What am I dreaming of?

What about today do I want to remember forever?

What are my goals for tomorrow?Thanks for reading,

Jake