Life Through the Lens: Good enough

This post is the author’s personal opinion.

When recently visiting a granddaughter, the above bottle was proudly on display.

She told me it belonged to her flatmate and friend, who later, with love and pride, said her parents had given it to her for one of her birthdays.

What wonderful parents.

The twinkling lights highlighted the positive message of love and support from parent to child.

My thoughts turned to other messages of love and support from someone who considers himself our heavenly father to all who are willing to accept his love.

By his words, all written in the Bible – “see what great love the father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God; that is who we are” (1 John 3:1) and, “see, I have engraved (your name) on the palms of my hands” (Isaiah 49:16) – God makes it very clear that he considers all who trust him, and his love, shown through Jesus, his son, are his children, who are precious to him.

Sadly, so many people spend their lives striving to make themselves acceptable as friends and children of God when all along he tells us, “out of all the peoples on the face of the earth, the Lord has chosen you to be his treasured possession” (Deuteronomy 14:2).

Of course, the daughter could have taken that glass bottle of twinkling lights – a token of love, acceptance and pride – and thrown it against the wall, shattering not only the bottle but straining and possibly breaking a loving parent-child relationship.

We do that when we turn away from God and the forgiving, loving relationship he offers by sacrificing his son Jesus on that cross so long ago.

(Don’t forget that by coming back to life three days later, Jesus was showing all that was written in God’s word is true and to be believed.)

When we can say, “I know God, through his forgiving love, makes me good enough”, then comes the wonderful freedom of no longer worrying about what we need to do to be good enough for God.

Believing you are good enough for God gives a confidence to live a life of fullness and joy, which he also promises to his children.

With the blessing of that confidence comes a willingness and desire to help others grow and know they, too are good enough.

Take God at his word and accept that you are who he sees you as and enjoy the many blessings and gifts of joy he longs for his children to enjoy.

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