Thursday, July 08, 2004

Love God Because You Choose To...

Here is the summary of the devotion that I promised to post...(this was given to girls, so that explains the male references throughout.)

Suppose your boyfriend/husband brought you a red rose...a symbol of affection and endearment. Your heart is filled with joy at this gesture, and you smile. How thoughtful! Flowers mean so much to most girls...

You thank him, and he gives a response...but not the response you expected by any means.

"Oh, it's my job. I'm supposed to do that."

(At this point the girls got so upset--it was funny!)

How would that make you feel? The value of that gift is immediately diminished, and I know that I would feel very upset at that kind of a response.

Why did he give the flower if it had no meaning? Why would he waste his time choosing the flower, delivering it, etc. if he didn't really want to be doing it?

And yet, don't we do that to God continually?

We sing songs about being "lost without You", and other such phrases...but do we really mean those things in our hearts? Or are we just singing because we are expected to, because that is just what you do at church...I mean, what would people think if they saw us NOT singing?

We give money in the offering, because we are "supposed to." "It's our responsibility." Do we give with a "cheerful heart" (Proverbs), knowing that our humble contribution is going to help God's word be spread throughout the world?

The list is endless...

When we bring God a flower of praise, are we doing it because we choose to, or because we "have" to?

I gave each girl a red rose at this point, and asked them to recall this phrase whenever they saw the rose:

"Love God because you choose to, not because you have to."

This lesson was presented to me in a chapel service last Spring, and has stuck with me ever since. In each journal that I begin, I have a dried flower taped in there with that phrase written above it...and I am working on loving God because I choose to, and not out of any obligation.

Today I choose to love and serve God...after all, it is truly the least I can do!