We are encouraged to examine the motivation for the things we do and exhorted to do ALL things for the love of being closer to Jesus. This is the essence of our relationship with our Father - simple, but absolute love.
When a young child wants to be held, they simply reach up their arms and say, "Hold me!" Children may be hurt, scared, or tired; they may not even know why they want to be held, but they know that spending time in arms of love seems to make everything better.
And as a parent looks down at their child, they rarely evaluate them to determine if they deserve to be held or send them away to earn affection. Rather, they simply pick up the child and hold them with no words even being required. In truth, moments like this bring parents some of their greatest joy!
"I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven."Matthew 18:3
Our Heavenly Father loves us very much! He wants us to come to Him with outstretched arms. He wants to pick us up and hold us tight. In truth, moments like this bring His greatest joy! And yet, we spend most of our days avoiding our Father's loving arms. We seek other forms of comfort and work to earn our Father's affection.
We pour our heart into projects thinking they are vitally important to God's work; "Daddy, look what I made for You!" But our best efforts are as grade school pencil holders and disfigured flowerpots. Our Father smiles at these simple gifts but wishes we would understand.
There's much work to do for the Kingdom of God, but none more important than loving and being loved by the One who has loved us since the beginning of time; "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength" Mark 12:30.
This can be a difficult concept for many who have not grown up with the unconditional love and acceptance of an earthly father, but our Father in Heaven is like none we've ever known. He created us for a relationship of love and "gave His one and only Son" John 3:16 so we could be restored to the relationship which sin stole away. Let there be no doubt of His love and His promise; "Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you" Hebrews 13:5.
He longs for us to return! Yes, we must clean our room, take out the trash, and treat others nice on the playground; but at the end of the day, His greatest desire is that we reach up with empty arms and say: I love You Daddy...hold me!
- steve troxel
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