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• Sep. 19, 2005 - A Chuck E. Cheese Kind of God
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Devotional from the book Keeping God in the Small Stuff: No Limits The love of God has no limits. Human
love is conditional. Whether we're dealing with a friendship or a
marriage, our commitments will only go so far. Friendships fail
and marriages end in divorce because one can no longer tolerate the
other. But
God's love is unconditional. He loved us before we were even
interested in him. He continues to love us even as we disappoint
Him with out immature attitudes. And His love for us prevails
although our conduct may offend Him. There is nothing we could do
that would make God love us less. God's
love extends to us in full measure. It is not distributed in
small portions as we earn "spiritual brownie points" if we are good
deed doers. There is nothing we can do to make God love us more. God
loves us unconditionally even though He knows we can't love Him back to
that extent. That's what makes His love so perfect. Whether
we are high above the sky or in the deepest ocean, nothing in all
creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is
revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 8:39 _____________________________________________________________________ As
I read the line "spiritual brownie points" above I recalled the image
that God brought to my mind weeks ago - allow me to illustrate. Remember
as a kid going to the Chuck E. Cheese and earning all those
tickets?? Remember being certain you were going to get a handful
of tickets for your efforts and occasionally not receiving any at
all?? Remember pushing all the tickets into every pocket available
for stuffing?? Remember laying out the tickets and counting them
one by one...the coveted LONG strands that were so great because that
meant you did a really GREAT job to earn so many...and the piddly
singles that never seemed to add up to quite enough?? Remember
gazing at the prize cabinet...and even up to the prize wall??
Remember not even turning them in for the piddly prizes because you
were saving up for the BIG prizes on the wall?? Some
people think we have a Chuck E. Cheese kind of God. That He is
standing behind the counter guarding His "Wall of Blessings".
That we can look but will not receive unless we earn enough
"perseverance and good deed tickets". Imagine
such a thing...here we are going through life doing good deeds and
earning our tickets. Sometimes we do something really
good and out comes the coveted LONG strand of good deed
tickets! Sometimes we put forth great effort but not a
single good deed ticket is produced and we are rewarded with the mere
frustration of our insufficiency. However, we know that if we
persevere and continue to do enough good deeds we could pocket those
occasional perseverance tickets that would add up to something
worthwhile in the end. Imagine taking all your tickets and
stashing them away, hoarding them for the eventual personal
satisfaction you'll receive one day. The
day arrives and off you go, pockets bulging and anticipation
high! You're willing to bet you may even be able to get one of
those really GREAT blessings on the blessing wall! You wait in
line thinking about all those people in front of you and wondering how
long they have been saving up for this day. You walk up to the
counter, present all your tickets to God, certain that the more you
pull out of your pocket, the more impressed He becomes...counting them
one after another, after another until you've calculated all your good
deed tickets and perseverance tickets. Your eyes climb the wall
to the top where the best blessings reside. You're sure you must
have enough perseverance tickets to earn that long-awaited
Godly spouse. Or maybe earned enough good deed tickets
to finally get that mission field opportunity! You are nervous
with excitement... Your
eyes scan for the price, shifting back and forth, but it can't be
found. Where could it be?? How much does it cost?!
You have waited this long, put forth this much effort, persevered and
done good deed after good deed all for the purpose of claiming your
prize and now a nervous anxiety grows up inside of you. Your gut
reaction is one of anger, "God, where are the prices??!! How do I
know if I have earned enough?! I have been waiting for this day to
come and claim my blessings and I have no idea if I have
enough!! " "My
child, why is this the first time you have come to me? Why have
you waited so long? Every day I have longed for you to come to me
and simply ask, 'Lord bless me, indeed!' You will find no price
upon my blessings. Their value is not made perfect through your
payment, but rather through My timing." God
has no use for your perseverance and good deed tickets. He is not
looking for those who are hoarding their talons. Thank the Lord
that your tickets are worthless and that the fact is that the blessings
are free! Thank the Lord that He doesn't want to give you what
you have earned or even what you deserve! Have you been saving up your good deed and perseverance tickets to present to God? God's
saving grace is a gift, not one that can be earned, we all know this if
we are truly saved. However, we so often stubbornly maintain our
human mindset that we somehow have the ability to earn
the blessings of God. Do not present your good deeds and
perseverance as an offering to the Lord. It is your life He
requires...love keeps no record of wrongs and humility keeps no record
of rights. God will prove to you that when you wrap your arms
around His will there are no hands to grab your good deed and
perseverance tickets and better yet, no need to. Lay down
your rights and pick up your cross. God's blessings are never out of reach.
© Victoria Sheahan, 2005
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