Ephesians 4:1
“Therefore I, the prisoner of the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling with which you have been called.”
We have been called by God. What an astounding thing. There was a great deal of stress when we were called by a captain in dodgeball. We were afraid to be called last. There was shame that we weren't wanted. Yet we've been called by God.
The great almighty, the God of the universe called us. This means He wanted us. The scripture says He's our Father. The story of the prodigal son shows us His feelings towards us. He loved His son and allowed him to do what he wanted. God gives us space to figure things out. We need room to run. We shouldn't be terrified of God's disapproval. While He is sad that we aren't going His way, He isn't angry. This space makes me feel quite secure. He's patient and is waiting for us.
I am more judgmental than God. When I see someone not going His way, I think, "He's gonna wreck their circumstances, to get them to return." He may which would actually be merciful. But I am more judgmental. He's the sad prodigal father who loves his son and doesn't wish him harm.
I want all to come to Him, so I sense myself wanting some calamity to bring them home. I need to purge that mindset. God seeks to bring all to Him. While He may use this method, He's got plenty more tools to use. I shouldn't jump straight to the ace. He uses all sorts of methods with us. This is His sovereignty, wisdom and love at work.
Going back to the notion that He called us. This was motivated by His love. We can personalize this. Even though there are billions of people that He is working with, He is all capable, which allows Him to see, love and attend to us. In fact, He can do this far more than we can imagine. Allow that love and the knowledge of it to sink in. Thank You, God.
We no longer need to look out for ourselves. He's got us. Jesus makes this point in Matthew 6:26, 27, “For this reason I say to you, do not be worried about your life, as to what you will eat or what you will drink; nor for your body, as to what you will put on. Is life not more than food, and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the sky, that they do not sow, nor reap, nor gather crops into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more important than they?" We are to do our best and not worry about the rest. He's got us. We don't have to be like the kids and the piñata. Pick up some candy, but don't edge others out in desperation in our quest.
In fact, we can do the opposite. we can allow others to get more candy with the thought that we want them to be blessed. Self interest dwindles. We know He's got us and will make sure we've got enough. He pushes this to an extreme. As we are generous like this, He fills our bag miraculously. It's God's principle of giving. '"Bring the full tithe into the storehouse, so that there may be food in My house. Test Me in this,” says the LORD of Hosts. “See if I will not open the windows of heaven and pour out for you blessing without measure"', (Malachi 3:10).
David speaks of His abundance in God by saying, "My cup runneth over", (Psalm 23). As we follow the Lord, we do as He says and seek to bless others. We don't want to hoard for ourselves, but want others to be blessed. This so pleases God that unknown to us His pitcher full of His goodness fills our cup without our knowledge. He does this so often that we no longer worry about ourselves. He's got us
This is the mindset of the child of God. We have become like Him. No hoarding, but we seek to give it away.
God does the opposite of the world. It hoards. It hates God's moral boundaries. It flagrantly seeks to ignore them and wants to establish sin. We don't self indulge for ourselves, so we trust Him with our drives. He will take care of them, if we obey. We live by God's laws and He blesses.
Thank You God for calling and caring for us. Thank You that we can abandon our selfish interests and learn You ways of generosity. Thank You for filling our cup.