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It’s ironic, isn’t it? For some people… God receives all of the blame for everything bad that happens and none of the credit for anything good that happens. God is questioned when things don’t work out right in the end, but He wasn’t asked in the beginning about what things are right. God gets treated as if He isn’t there most of the time and as if He should show up when summoned at any time. God is met with disbelief that He ever shows His love and disbelief in the cross where His love was most greatly shown. But… No matter how He is seen, God still does good, still works things out, still shows up and still loves.

God wants us to be happy. When He tells us in the Bible to do, say, correct, believe, feel, think or share something, it is not to take away our happiness. Instead, it is to take away things in the way of our full and lasting happiness in Him. We must trust that God is after our happiness, that He knows best how to bring about our happiness, and that what He tells us in the Bible is designed to lead us into happiness. Doing what God tells us is not always easy, popular or instantly gratifying. But it is always for good, always better in the end than sin, and always the best option for making us truly, ultimately, and eternally happy.

One of the primary aims of Christianity is to invite as many people who are far from God into the joy that we have in Him so they can experience it with us. To fight the good fight, finish the race and keep the faith means not only enduring in the gospel ourselves until our homecoming, but also equipping others with the gospel so they can fight on, race on, and keep on when we have gone on, until there is no place left that has not heard the good news of Jesus. A life well-lived means we press on in the faith ourselves and pass on the faith to others so that God is honored in more of us and more of us are happy in Him.

No matter how much we grow to look like Jesus, there will be countless times when we don’t look much like Him at all. Because Jesus never sinned, and we often will. The natural response for us when we think wrong things, say wrong things and do wrong things is to hide. Hide the truth. Hide our responsibility. Hide from God. But because God is gracious, we don’t have to do any of these things. When we sincerely repent, He is faithful to extend grace. Every. Single. Time. He isn’t reluctant. He doesn’t have a shortage. He won’t turn you away. Run to God with joy knowing this… His fountain of forgiveness will never run dry.

We are to be generous with our words, actions, time, money, forgiveness, kindness, hospitality, patience, service, friendship, compassion, skills, truth-telling and love. Even as we enjoy what God does for us and gives to us, we can confidently share every good resource in our lives as He leads us, knowing that even as we give away, there is always enough. God is continually pouring out more forgiveness, goodness, kindness and blessedness so we can be more of a witness to His generosity by giving away part of what He gives to us. Overflowing cups are not for us to choke on, but for us to let others drink from too.

What you and I have is ultimately not our own; it all belongs to God. Our time is His. Our Talent is His. Our Treasure is His. Little or much, temporary or lasting, tangible or unseen, everything in our lives is the property and possession of God. We have been entrusted to steward it faithfully, dispense it liberally, and credit it clearly to the One from Whom all blessings flow. Our stewardship will not be judged by the amount we are able to give, but by the readiness, cheerfulness and faithfulness of our giving. It is not a matter of how much we have to be generous with, but how generous we are with how much we have.

Praise doesn’t take away from our enjoyment of something; praise adds to our enjoyment of it. Think about it… We can’t wait to share great news. We can’t help but cheer a great play. We can’t stop singing a great song. We can’t keep quiet about a great result, great movie, great experience or a great meal. Praising is the natural response to something that excites and delights us, and it always increases and intensifies our enjoyment of that thing. So, above all, let us admire and applaud our God for Who He is and what He does, that our hearts might explode over His greatness with the greatest of all joys.

God didn’t reluctantly choose you because there was an empty space in His family tree, and He was down to His last option in you. He readily chose you because that spot in His family was reserved especially for you. He doesn’t regret it for a moment, even in those moments when you feel like He does because you have fallen short and failed Him. Because of the moment you put your faith in Jesus… He delights in you. He rejoices over you. He is pleased with you. Whether you stand by His grace and get it right, or fall into His mercy when you get it wrong, you were chosen by God. And He’s happy with His choice.

People go to great lengths to safeguard their money, health, jobs, computers, phones, homes, families, and minds against dangers that threaten their well-being. They look for security in a variety of places like their bank account balances, home alarm systems and workplace seniority. But all of the security measures people take have one thing in common: they can fail at any time, which means they don’t really offer security at all. Real security is having something which guarantees a good future for you that can never be lost by you or taken from you. And that kind of security is only found in the love of Jesus.

A semi-painted canvas doesn’t show the whole picture. A rough draft doesn’t tell the whole story. A list of ingredients doesn’t look like the whole entrée. Similar to these things, you and I are works-in-progress in the transforming hands of our loving Father. And He will continue changing us from who we used to be into who we will be. We are… Unfinished, but not unsaved. Unfinished, but not unfixable. Unfinished, but not unloved. Because God will finish what He starts in you, you don’t have to give in to despair when you stumble in your faith or give up in trying to live out your faith. He isn’t done yet. And neither are you.