Wednesday, July 21, 2010

Unconditional...

I woke up the other morning to my 4 year old son exclaiming, "It's my birthday today Daddy! I can do whatever I want!" Well, within reason, I supposed. The first thing he wanted was some sugar cereal. The look on his face was priceless. The larger than life smile, as he chowed down the cereal, was worth the repercussions that all that sugar was going to cause.

After apologizing to my wife for loading him up with all that sugar, I headed off to work. I couldn't get his smile out of my head. It brought back so many wonderful memories I've had the privilege to share with our kids. That smile, in that moment, was the product of his 4 years of life.

Now, I wish I could take all the credit for that. And, it's quite possible that I got some things right. But, I've probably made far more mistakes than not. That's where God comes in. As we strive to honor Him, to the best of our ability, He somehow makes up the difference. At times, I'll climb into bed after checking on our kids and I'll ask my wife, "Do you think they know I love them?" Without even thinking about it, she'll respond, "The thought has never crossed their minds."

Like so many times before, she reminds me to do the best I can to honor God as a father and husband and let Him make up the difference. I worry about them feeling unloved, because that's how I grew up. I was convinced I wasn't loved or lovable. I worried about it. What a peace it brings to be reminded that they have never even thought about it. It's just a given for them.

In the same way, it's a given for us with our Heavenly Father. His love is unconditional. It's not dependent on what we do or don't do. Or, how we feel about ourselves. And, He longs for relationship with us. Not just in our good times, when we feel like we have it all together. In all times. If you're anything like me, it's much easier to come before God when I'm doing well. When I know I've done a good job honoring Him. But, I can neglect that relationship when I'm feeling ashamed, under qualified, or unworthy. I can pull away. But, that's when I should be pushing into Him even more. I think sometimes, those honest cries for help can mean more than a perfect praise song. It's a constant battle and I'm always working on not letting my circumstance hold me back.

That's one of many reasons I really love Amy Grant's new
song, "Better Than A Hallelujah" It's a great reminder that God will not ignore our request for help. He's not going to laugh at us or be disappointed. He loves us so much.




Is He patiently waiting to hear from you today? Are you holding back? If I can be praying for you, please don't hesitate to let me know - joeb@newlifemedia.org


Joe Buchanan serves New Life Media as Network Music Director.www.newlifemedia.org(WBGL,WIBI & WCIC)
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