“Now you, brothers and sisters, like Isaac, are children of promise.” (Galatians 4:28)
If the only way we could have a good relationship with God was by achieving or accomplishing certain things, we’d never be able to be completely comfortable about his return at the end of this world, our having eternal life with him, or even being in any kind of positive relationship with him now.
Imagine if God looked at us and said, “If you do this for me, then I’ll respond in a certain way or reward you or love you in return.” If God acted like that, we could never be sure about whether we could be blessed, forgiven or loved by him.
We’d never know if we’d done enough for him. We could be worried about whether we’d be living up to his expectations. We’d have no idea about how much we ought to do to get him to respond to our actions.
But He isn’t like that at all. He’s the exact opposite. He says, “Because you have sinned, messed things up and need help, I will come to you.”
We don’t have to do anything first. God comes to us, makes us his own, forgives us, picks us up, loves us, makes his promises, and gives us all we need to respond to him.
Knowing this, believing we’re in that kind of relationship, is what we need to serve God with the right motivation so that we can look forward to Jesus’ return without any reservations or fear.
Knowing and believing this motivates us to look for opportunities to serve others. We serve, then, not because we have to but because we want to. We want to show our gratitude to God for what He’s given to us and done for us.
Prayer
Lord, I need Your forgiveness and grace daily, as I fail in my walk each and every day. I thank You for Your gift to us and for loving us. Let Your love for me shine through to everyone I come in contact with. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
Stay encouraged!
Pastor Mike
