Last night at bible study we discussed a chapter from the book "My Bangs Look Good and Other Lies I Tell Myself" by Susanna Foth Aughtmon. The lie we discussed was: "God owes me." I shared that what I feel God owes me is recognition. If I voluntarily pour out all my love, talent, and time into something I should be recognized! I'm not really sure what kind of recognition I expect from God, but I do expect Him to let other's know so that they can recognize me in his stead. Messed up, right?
What do you feel God owes you?
More importantly, what do you owe God?
I'm not talking about what you can do for Him, or how much money you can give Him. After all, he's God. But, lets face it, we kinda owe Him.
He's created this planet I call home, the stars in the sky-I especially like the one that warms me on the mornings that I run, and lets not forget owls. ;) And He's given me the things that I love: Ryan, my dear friends and family, the Church, and the bloggers who inspire my creativity. He shows me grace upon grace. He died for me; He does so daily. Every lie, cruel word, malicious gossip, gluttonous act, and lustful thought; when I ignore those in need or condemn those I love... He dies again and I am forgiven. His death transcends time.
I owe God my time. Our time is one of our most precious gifts and I waste mine generously. Instead of giving God the "first fruits" so-to-speak, He gets the leftovers. :( It seems I've been practicing this a while because as surely as I repented of this last night, I'd forgotten by the morning. Luckily I was given a sweet reminder. :) Praying for new reminders daily. Speaking of reminders- tonight I set up my own accountability for my chronological reading plan on YouVersion.com. So from now on I should get e-mail reminders to stick to my plan.
The sermon at church a couple of weeks ago touched a little on this... When the Israelites were wondering the desert, God promised them their own country (wish I could remember the exact space, but it was something like "from the Euphrates to the Mediterranean) and everywhere that their feet tread would be theirs. The actual area of Israel is much smaller than this, but this is not because the promise wasn't fulfilled, it's because they did not claim it.
ReplyDeleteI also think about the book "Where the Red Fern Grows" when I think about this concept. God offers us things (opportunities, direction, forgiveness...) but it is our responsibility to meet him half-way. We have to put in our own time and effort, and accept what he has offered us.
I don't know about OWING a debt (How can you owe for a gift) but making sure that we accept that gift graciously, and take care of it seems like a good way to show thanks.
Yes, I agree with you completely! It's definitely about the response to the gift...God gave himself for us so that we might have life- free from condemnation and guilt, and full of opportunities, joy, and grace ( the stuff you listed above)...And he wants to be apart of our life through our time spent with him in prayer and reading the Bible-even the parts we tend to skip over ;) So I don't mean "owe" like a debt I have to pay, but a way to show that I appreciate everything He's ever done for me. I also know that making time for these things affects my character and overall sensitivity to the gifts He's given me...which I feel keeps the relationship fresh and the thankfulness flowing. :)
ReplyDeleteYou never set up my reading plan?! Where shall I start?!
ReplyDeleteThat said, we are pretty bratty aren't we? We have lots of expectations, needs and wants. We demand a lot of God. I think it's good to reflect on that and how we might give back to him. Sometimes I think he just wants me to be the person he created me to be instead of someone who wants to stick his head in the sand and do something else. It's my prayer that God will lure me out of my shell to do the amazing things I've been called to. From talking to someone who needs help or writing the pages of a story for people to read! Great post, Sarah.