“A lot of my life happened in great, wonderful bursts of good fortune, and then I would race to be worthy of it.” Julie Andrews“Libby, you got the highest grade so you’re first.” My eighth grade English teacher used to rearrange the seating chart after each exam and seat us in order of who got the best score. After the exam on diagramming sentences I was seated—for the one and only time—in the first seat in the front row. Other classes had the back seats fill up first, but in English it was a reward to sit in front and all the students tried to be first. It worked for our class in those days, everyone learned grammar and composition and (speaking for myself) I was able to skip bone-head English when I got to college. Even at work at a high-tech firm in the Silicon Valley, I used to get recognition for reports, proposals and executive summaries, partially as a result of what I learned in eighth grade.
I spent the first few years as a Christian trying to pay God back for blessing like all green lights when I was running late, or recognition for things I felt were just common courtesy. When I finally recognized that God does not wait for me to do something good before He blesses me, I was able to stop feeling guilty that I had not earned it.
Are you more familiar with the perform/reward system? Do you ever feel as if you need to pay God back for a blessing you don’t feel you have earned, or deserved? What will you do differently today to shift your thinking to a love-motivated paradigm? Lord, I find it hard to fully comprehend Your unconditional Love. Help me make progress at tearing down the walls of my natural self-centeredness and learn to love unconditionally. Amen “So we have come to know and to believe the love that God has for us. God is love…” I John 4:16a What are your thoughts? Libby
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WelcomeI love the wisdom of the ages gleaned from relevant quotes. In them there is a connection to the human experience that crosses all borders. Join me as I relate my personal experiences, and link the wisdom of the quote to the Source of all wisdom: God's Word, the Bible. Enjoy, Libby Categories
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July 2019
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