Small 'g'

Philippians 2:6-10~

Though he was God,

he did not think of equality with God

as something to cling to.

Instead, he gave up his divine privileges;

he took the humble position of a slave

and was born as a human being.

When he appeared in human form,

he humbled himself in obedience to God

and died a criminal's death on a cross.

Therefore, God elevated him to the place of highest honor

and gave him the name above all other names,

that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow,

in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 

and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord,

to the glory of God the Father.

Every person on earth gets a choice with the power to either save, or condemn them. Every. Person. Each individual gets to decide who they will follow. We all get to decide who will be the 'Lord' of our lives. 

Whether we confess to be religious or not, we all serve something. We all place gods before us, and often we don't even realize it. The problem is, these gods can be sneaky. Even Christians, who desire to have no other god before THE God, sometimes slip into serving other masters by accident. 

It's frustrating. In a land of plenty, a place where we can have anything we want, it is hard to keep God #1 every minute of every day. But why, when we have the option to be guided by the One who knows everything, do we sometimes choose to follow others?

What's the god that sometimes steals your attention, and why? What is it that your false god offers you, that can be so tempting?

Is it food, that gives you satisfaction for a while? Is it popularity that gives you confidence? Is it affection that gives you meaning? Is it your talent that gives you a purpose? Is it sleep that gives you rest? Is it money that gives you prosperity? Is it yourself, that gives you power?

I, too, fall into serving these gods. I go momentarily blind, and cannot see past my immediate wants. I turn to things of this world, seeking temporary happiness. But what do these gods give me? Hollow satisfaction. They lie to me. They lie to you. They give us imaginary hope, and then bring destruction to all who lean on them for security.

But my GOD died for me. My God, greater than anyone and anything, died for me, His own subject. My God gives me eternal life. My God gives me hope, a future, and never-ending love.

This is what my God does for me:

Titus 3:6-7~

He generously poured out the Spirit upon us through

Jesus Christ our Savior. Because of his grace he declared us righteous

and gave us confidence that we will inherit eternal life.

Romans 5:8-9,11~

But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us 

while we were still sinners. And since we have been made right in God's sight

by the blood of Christ, he will certainly save us from God's condemnation. For since

our friendship with God was restored  by the  death of his Son while we were

still enemies, we can certainly be saved through the life of his Son. So

now we can rejoice in our wonderful new relationship with

God because our Lord Jesus Christ has made us

friends of God.

Romans 8:11,14~

The Spirit of God, who raised Jesus from the dead, LIVES IN YOU.

And just as God raised Christ Jesus from the dead, he will give life to your

mortal bodies by this same Spirit living within you.... For all who

are led by the Spirit of God are children of God.

I've barely begun to list everything that God has done, is doing, and is yet to do for us. He created us unique. He named us. He created this world for us. He gave us the key to life. He gave us His Word. He allows us to come to Him freely. He sent His own PERFECT Son to pay the price we owed. He forgave us. He healed us. He showed us the path. He resurrected Christ, so that we would not have to be slaves to sin any longer. He freed us. He gave us a choice. He gave us eternal life. He's preparing a place for us. He speaks to us. He adopted us. We love him, because He First. Loved. Us.

After everything that Jesus has sacrificed for us... we should be in love with Him. Every time we hear His name, we should feel a thrill! We should be getting shivers every time we sing to Him. Every time He is mentioned, we should be grinning with joy and pride thinking, Every time we see His hand at work, we should be laughing with delight, thinking "That's MY Father! That's Him! Right there!" We should be the most excited human beings on planet earth, if we are truly in love with a God that gave Himself, so that He could bring us to Paradise forever! Why would we ever even speak His name half-heartedly?
"That's MY God!"

While other religions have leaders and gods that require death, human sacrifice, pain, torture, and hatred... We serve a God who requires love. Love for Him, and love for our neighbor. He offers a way of life better than anything else. So what are we doing putting Him in second place in our lives?

If you find any god that has done that for its followers, let me know! I have yet to meet anyone or anything that gives even a fraction of what God gives us. In return for everything He offers us, He asks only that we follow Him, so that He can make our way straight! He asks for our obedience, so that He can give us meaning and purpose in our lives. There is no other god like our God! There is no other god that deserves our obedience more than Him.

He's the Alpha, Omega, Beginning,  and end. He's my Saviour, Messiah, Redeemer, and friend.

My God DIED for me. What did your god do for you?

Happy Easter!