Thank God it's Friday!
What are you thankful for today?
I was watching American Idol, last night (DVRed, alright, I admit it I watch this show, please don't tease.) and Simon said something that I have not been able to stop thinking about. Please, don't think that I am suggesting that Simon is a great theologian or we should follow his teaching. However, last night there was a girl that was trying out for the show and after Randy (one of the celebrity judges) said yes to her audition she said that she loved him. Simon said "that is not love, that is gratitude." I certainly don't think that Simon meant this in any deep or profound way but what he says is very insightful as we think about love and gratitude.
Gratitude is a response to someone for something that we receive from others. Gratitude is often conditional. Love, true love, the love that we are called to share, the love that we receive from God, has no preconditions. It is unconditional. We just love because we love.
That is how God loves me. That is the love that God has for you. God loves us not because we have done anything to deserve his love or to earn it. God loves us even when we are unlovable. God loves us when we don't love in return. God loves us and there is nothing that will change this. Nothing we can do about it. That is love. And this is the love that God desires I have for all of his creation.
Today, I am thankful for unconditional love. I am grateful that God loves me and everyone else no matter what. I thank God that he is at work in me causing me to love like Jesus. Creating in me a heart that loves unconditionally. I know that I am not there yet. I know I got a long way to go. But, I thank God that he continues to love me and love through me.
Ultimately, I think that we express our gratitude not with words, but with our lives and with our love for others.
Love today. Give God thanks!
In Christ's love and mine,
Doug
I was watching American Idol, last night (DVRed, alright, I admit it I watch this show, please don't tease.) and Simon said something that I have not been able to stop thinking about. Please, don't think that I am suggesting that Simon is a great theologian or we should follow his teaching. However, last night there was a girl that was trying out for the show and after Randy (one of the celebrity judges) said yes to her audition she said that she loved him. Simon said "that is not love, that is gratitude." I certainly don't think that Simon meant this in any deep or profound way but what he says is very insightful as we think about love and gratitude.
Gratitude is a response to someone for something that we receive from others. Gratitude is often conditional. Love, true love, the love that we are called to share, the love that we receive from God, has no preconditions. It is unconditional. We just love because we love.
That is how God loves me. That is the love that God has for you. God loves us not because we have done anything to deserve his love or to earn it. God loves us even when we are unlovable. God loves us when we don't love in return. God loves us and there is nothing that will change this. Nothing we can do about it. That is love. And this is the love that God desires I have for all of his creation.
Today, I am thankful for unconditional love. I am grateful that God loves me and everyone else no matter what. I thank God that he is at work in me causing me to love like Jesus. Creating in me a heart that loves unconditionally. I know that I am not there yet. I know I got a long way to go. But, I thank God that he continues to love me and love through me.
Ultimately, I think that we express our gratitude not with words, but with our lives and with our love for others.
Love today. Give God thanks!
In Christ's love and mine,
Doug
Comments
Thank you for promoting the value of gratitude.