Do We Need to Convince God to Bless Us?

I suspect if you are reading this, you probably have an inkling that the answer is, “No.” But I can’t tell you how many people—good people—that I run into know the right answer, but really feel that they have to do something to earn His blessing or pay God back.

How many people—maybe you, even—have heard that God did His part, now you need to your part?

So, let me ask you: How does “doing your part” make you feel? Sit with it a minute.

Unworthy?
Not up to it?
Stressed out?
Hopelessly behind?
Condemned?
“It’s the least I can do- I can do this!?”

All of these, with the exception of the last one, make you feel smaller, inadequate, and hopeless. The last one is simply prideful.  Each of these feelings has one fatal flaw: they cause you to look to you and your performance and not the performance of Christ/the Godhead.

Freedom from Striving and Performance

You see, Christ alone, is Savior – we cannot save ourselves. There is no time when we can thank God for that cross thing and “take it from there”. We cannot “pay God back” for saving us. And “paying God back” accuses God to be a begrudging, “you-owe-Me” God.

God is Love. He is motivated by Love and simply wants you to receive His graciousness, His goodness, His championship. YOU are His reward, NOT what you can do for Him!

Your Value and Significance

YOU are:

The pearl of great price (Matthew 13:46)
The coin that was lost (Luke 15:8)
The lost sheep (Luke 15:4) 

God didn’t ask the pearl or the coin or the sheep to do ANYTHING except to let Him be Who He really is – Love! And, let’s also be clear about another thing: The pearl, the coin, and the sheep had no less value when they were lost than when they were found. Your value has been established by the only One Who has perfect judgment! YOU are the joy set before Him that He would endure the cross.  

Let Him convince you of your intrinsic value. Sit with it. Sit with Him. Camp out regularly in this amazing truth. This is the place from which you will automatically serve out of an overflow of love as a beloved son/daughter!

Let Him unveil the blessing that is already yours. Don’t deny Love the right to love you! You are blessed because you are His!