Do We Visualize God With A Smile Or A Frown?

Ecclesiastes 8:15  And I commend joy, for man has nothing better under the sun but to eat and drink and be joyful, for this will go with him in his toil through the days of his life that God has given him under the sun.

Someone recently wrote that “God is most glorified in us when we are most satisfied in him.”

After reading that statement, I had to read it again. I think sometimes we fail to appreciate what God has done for us in providing us so much joy. James reminds us that “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change” (James 1:17). In other words, if it is good, then it has come from God. I would advise that just because people may classify something as good doesn’t necessarily make it good — consider Isaiah 5:20 as an example where people get things turned around by calling bad things good and good things bad.

Maybe we only see God as a taskmaster commanding us nothing but to fear him and literally shake in our boots. But the word he provided to us suggests a proper balance (Romans 11:22). Yes, he is God and there is no other (Isaiah 46:9; Romans 8:12-17; 1John 4:17-19), but he is loving and desires that all be saved from deserved wrath (Romans 2:3-11; 1Timothy 2:1-4; 2Peter 3:9).

Sometimes we don't associate happiness with God; again, we may only see him as a taskmaster handing out impossible commands. 

One test for ourselves might be this — Do we visualize God with a smile or a frown?

Reflections at the End of Another Year

The short story is this — time is running out for all of us.

I think the main reason why THE END of the year bothers me is that I realize more and more that THE END of everything is coming sooner now. We are a day closer to eternity than we were yesterday. And as I write these few words, I am mindful that tomorrow may not come for everyone. This is a sobering reality.

THE END of the year should not only be a time of looking forward. Our youngest daughter seems super-excited about 2015 and she's begun writing the number everywhere. Me? It takes me a few months to get used to the change — which is probably the point (she's young and therefore excited about the possibilities which lie ahead; and I'm old and therefore dreading the possibilities which lie ahead).

THE END of the year should also be a time of looking back and, hopefully, learning from past failings … our own, of course, but of others' too. True wisdom is not merely learning from one's own mistakes and sins, but seeing what others did wrong and learning from those things.

In all seriousness, we need to remember life is short. So be kind and rewind (a nod to yesteryear's VHS cassettes) … or maybe don't rewind: in other words, don't dwell on past successes or failures.

2015 — It's really just a number. TODAY is the day we need to think a lot about: How can we help someone today? Could we forgive more? Love more? Smile more?