I don't know how many times I have heard people say to me, "You look just like your mama!" And how many times I have said about Ashlyn, "She is the spitting image of her daddy". In fact, when Ashlyn was only about two years old, I was in the checkout lane at Wal-Mart when a lady I had never seen before looked at her and said, "She must look just like her daddy 'cause she doesn't look at thing like you!" Even though that was a risky statement on her part (since she didn't know anything about me OR her daddy), it didn't offend me, because I know that it's true!
This morning I was reading a passage, and it reminded me of how much I want to be recognized as God's child. I do things every day that do not look like my Father. Sometimes I spout off at the mouth. Sometimes I am stubborn. Sometimes I get overwhelmed by fear or anger. But I have a deep desire to put aside those things to be more like Him. I praise God for His patience with me!!! John 13:34-35 says,
A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another, even as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.
We are recognized as God's children when we love the way He loves, which means letting go of bitterness and unforgiveness, even if it seems "deserved". We somehow think that we have a right to hold unrighteous deeds over others' heads, when all the while God has chosen to show great mercy upon us. We forget how undeserving we are of His love. So, it seems to me that in order to look like my Father, I simply love as He loves, because when I do that, many other transgressions are "fixed" by default. Not that it makes me perfect, but as Proverbs 10:12 says, "Hatred stirs up strife, but love covers all transgressions." When we choose to follow His way of love, we will be recognized as children of our Heavenly Father.
2 comments :
Wow! Thanks Amy!! I needed that information! its one of those things that you know, but its realization doesn't come until it is made real to you or revealed to you - Its like i knew what you said but never really made real in my life till recently; and your words reaffirmed that realization! We tend to hold onto things because over time those things have shaped and "made" us who we are to an extent and letting them go (as God requires to make us whole and His - clean house per say) would leave us "blank"/ without identity in our eyes and that in itself brings fear....fear of letting things go. but that is where FAITH comes in and TRUST. They aren't the right things to have in the first place or God wouldn't be asking you to let them go. So we must, and then have faith and trust in God to fill that void with Himself and show us our true identity in Him. A simple but hard task to overcome each day, but must be if we are to look like our Father and truly be free!
Love the pet cricket
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