What Do I Take for Granted?
God’s Gifts Taken for Granted
I take clean water for granted. I also take hot water for granted. Everyday of my life I have had the luxury of turning on a faucet and flushing a toilet at will. I trust that the people in charge of city systems will do their jobs so that I can wash my dishes with safe water and have plenty to drink.
There are places around the world even today that do not have this convenience. Some must walk miles to find water that they then carry in heavy jars on top of their heads back to their homes. Others don’t have a clean water source. What I take for granted is a daily struggle for many.
When I reflect on God’s care and goodness at day’s end, I list in my journal His generosity toward me. In this process, I have discovered that there are countless gifts I’ve received from God that I regularly forget. Besides water, there is food to eat from the grocery store not far from home, clothes to wear that I can clean in my washer and dryer, eyes that can see, ears that can hear, a free country in which to worship God, and friends and family who are dear to me. I have had an easy life in many respects. And I have taken it for granted.
Taking My Life in Christ for Granted
Of greater concern to me is that for a long time I took my salvation for granted. I didn’t live in the beauty and power of what Jesus accomplished for me because I felt resentment for the challenges in my life. Because of this, I lacked contentment. I missed the joy of the Lord. Viewing my life from a victim's posture kept me from grasping how amazing it is that I have eternal life in Christ, that I am forgiven for my past, present, and future sins, and that I have a new nature that frees me to obey instead of living in slavery to my sin.
God is a Gentleman
This mistrust of God created a guardedness in me toward him. It kept me from experiencing intimacy with Him that would bring me joy. I didn’t feel close to God yet didn’t understand that the imaginary wall I constructed in an attempt to protect my heart was the issue. I had no idea that God is a gentleman. He doesn’t force Himself on anyone. He waits to be invited.
This waiting is a great gift, especially for someone who has experienced relational manipulation. He waits, like the prodigal son’s father, for each one to be ready to receive Him. He understands that those who have been hurt by humans will have a hard time trusting Him, even though He is safe. We often confuse the mysterious ways of God with the actions of imperfect people. They can seem the same, but they are not.
God’s True Nature
When I believed that God abandoned me or that He didn’t care when I experienced childhood abuse, I missed His compassion and His justice. Matthew 18:6 reveals how God responds to those who harm children. “But whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him to have a great millstone fastened around his neck and to be drowned in the depth of the sea.”
When I believed that my circumstances revealed that God placed greater values on others than He did on me, I missed His intimate interest in me. The psalmist penned the reality of God’s personal intimacy with each of us. “How precious to me are your thoughts, O God! How vast is the sum of them! If I would count them, they are more than the sand. I awake, and I am still with you.” (Psalm 139:17-18.)
When years went by, seemingly without an answer to my prayers, I believed my cries weren’t important to God. Instead, He leans toward me to listen to the things in my heart. “O Lord, you hear the desire of the afflicted; you will strengthen their heart; you will incline your ear.” (Psalm 10:17)
Over and over, God helped me to understand His true character, and the fervency of His love for me. He is not like others who were aloof or selfish. The trust I grew to have in God didn’t happen overnight. It was a process. As I began to see Him for who He truly is, the lies of shame tied to my unbelief lifted one by one. When I uncovered areas of unbelief in me, I asked the Holy Spirit to teach me. I asked Him to reveal the character of God to me. I invited Him to open my eyes to bear witness to His love so that I could let it into my heart.
As I removed the imaginary bricks in the wall around my heart, intimacy increased. Joy increased, because I could be in God’s presence without guardedness. “You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore.” (Psalm 16:11)
“How precious to me are your thoughts, O God! How vast is the sum of them! If I would count them, they are more than the sand. I awake, and I am still with you.” (Psalm 139:17-18.)
Photo by Silvan Schuppisser on Unsplash
Questions to Ponder: When, if ever, do you experience guardedness with God? What lie do you believe when you don’t trust God?