"You're blessed when you're content with just who you are-no more, no less.
That's the moment you find yourselves proud owners of everything that can't be
bought." (Matt 5:5, MSG)
So many among us are not satisfied by what we have or who we are; and as life
goes on, we never seem to reach that satisfaction. Even the elderly struggle
with this. I remember when my grandpa from my father's side looked in a mirror
and declared out loud in Flemish: "Lelijke kletsen kop!" Which basically
translates to: "Ugly baldhead!" He certainly didn't like himself very much, but
for a young kid hearing this, I couldn't help but chuckle. Still, it is quite
sad when we can never feel completely satisfied with who we are.
One of my cousins made me laugh hysterically when he told us about the day he
approached a lady who was handing out parking tickets. He asked her if she
enjoyed her job.
Shocked, she looked at him and said unenthusiastically: "It's just my job!"
His response? "Those in Auschwitz also said it was just their job, and look all
the pain they inflicted."
I am certain that after this conversation, she tried to find his car!
Still, how many among us really enjoy our jobs?
It's true that we have all missed the mark. We have all sinned. It doesn't
matter if it is just a little bit or a lot. We all have missed the mark of what
we could have become. We are left wanting.
There are those, however, who realized that they are bathing in glory, not
through their own efforts, but through the One who willingly sacrificed Himself
on a cross so that we could become complete. "And we all, who with unveiled
faces contemplate the Lord's glory, are being transformed into his image with
ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit." (2Cor
3:18, NIV2)
Imagine being transformed into His image. It's real, but too often it is a long
process, where our Father becomes, over time, so much more real to us than our
personal adversities. With Him at the helm, we have nothing to fear, and through
Him, we can feel completely satisfied. How could it be otherwise? His love
surrounds us. His presence fills us with peace.
What about our many mistakes in life?
This is what Jesus declares to those whose reality is in Him: "Therefore, there
is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus," (Rom 8:1, NIV2) No
condemnation! God loves us for who we are. If He accepts us fully, why should we
doubt Him and complain that we are "Lelijke kletsen koppen!" or that "I am doing
just my job!" We are completely accepted by our Heavenly Father, so much that
Jesus declares that we are his brothers and sisters: "Both the one who makes
people holy and those who are made holy are of the same family. So Jesus is not
ashamed to call them brothers and sisters." (Heb 2:11, NIV2)
If Jesus is not ashamed of us, why should we be ashamed of ourselves? We are
fully accepted as sons and daughters of the Most High. We couldn't be in a
better place.
"Who would like a traffic ticket today? I am giving them free for once!"
Rob Chaffart
The Illustrator: This daily newsletter is dedicated to encouraging
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