My Five Minute Friday on: NothingI am trying to retrain myself. To stop putting so much value on earnings.
That somehow there is something I can always do to find favor.
All my strivings and hard work are not in vain and are filling a bank account somewhere that measures how much I'm worth.
But no matter how much I have done to please others or earn esteem, I always come up empty.
I cannot do enough.
Never enough.
I have wrestled with understanding love. Why wouldn't it fit into society's mold?
Why shouldn't I have to measure up? Be labeled a "success"? Earn the respect of my peers?
That means something…doesn't it?
But the other day, friends offered my family a gift. It was something unearned. And they had NO REASON to give it.
I racked my brain to figure out motive. To understand why they would offer this to us? There was NOTHING in it for them.
And then it overwhelmed me — this picture of God-love.
Someone gave me a gift I didn't deserve. A gift I didn't earn.
I find myself trying to earn it somehow. What can I do to repay them? How can return the favor?
But no.
The cross is more than this. A "you-did-not-have-to" kind of love that blows me away.
Because seriously, this kind of love doesn't happen everyday.
But maybe it should.
Not because of anything I've earned or done.
Nothing.
Linking today with…
Ah, Christy! I know this struggle. And I know that God is looking at his girls and saying "It's in ME! Your "enough" is in ME!" We already have his stamp of approval, his seal of love. What would happen if we just accepted it and then lived out of His enough?
ReplyDeleteThankful for this honest post and for your presence in my life!
Thank you, Becky! This is daily work, to live out of His enough. But the picture of love from my friend was a strong reminder of the kind of love He offers us. It's baffling and oh, so beautiful!
ReplyDeleteThanks for encouraging me, friend!
Beautiful and "me too".
ReplyDelete"But no matter how much I have done to please others or earn esteem, I always come up empty.
I cannot do enough.
Never enough."
Thank you Christy.
So beautiful! So thankful for gifts like that - unexpected, unearned, and such a reminder of the Gift He already gave... and continues to give every day!
ReplyDeleteI have a hard time accept the gifts of others, thinking i am undeserving. Oh but Christ loves to lavish good gifts on his children!
ReplyDeleteTerrific way you addressed this week's prompt. I can never be reminded enough that there really is nothing that He requires of me to earn His love. Thanks for another reminder! Glad I stopped by.
ReplyDeleteReally beautiful... I didn't do this weeks prompt because I was overwhelmed at the prompt just overwhelmed me more but I LOVE how you approached it! This was so poignant!
ReplyDeleteWhat great truth! It's a struggle for me, too, to stop trying to earn and to really believe we are in Christ as a FREE GIFT from him! Love reading your words today.
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