HIS EVERLASTING BEAUTY

One thing have I asked of the Lord, that will I seek after: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord and to inquire in his temple. Psalm 27:4

I was only five years old when I gave my heart to Jesus. I accepted Him as my friend out of sheer child-like love. I had no training in doctrine or theology; I merely wanted a relationship with one who would love me so much that He would die for me. This first-laid cornerstone was His beautiful faith planted in my heart. 

Although I was God's adopted child, later in life, I felt the need to come to Christ repeatedly. My fear overshadowed the trust blinding me to God's true beauty. A Christian's canonical sights should be on the love of Christ; fear breeds doubt and resentment, forfeiting perfect peace. A relationship of love and trust says, "I am not and cannot be responsible for God's love for me. I cannot labor for His love, but His love makes me labor for Him." There is a big difference between a path of fear or the path of love; love leads to His everlasting beautiful peace.

God's beauty is His nature of love which flows freely for every human. He is the "Being" made and living through us that instigates and enables our "doing." Do we focus on “doing” which is motivated by self? Or do we focus on the "Being," which is Holy-Spirit-driven action?

Paul kept His eye on Jesus. Yes, he did pursue a goal toward a prize. However, the prize was selfless, not selfish. Paul's motivation was God's upward calling through Jesus Christ. (Philippians 3:14) We must ask ourselves, "What is our pursuit born from?" Titus 3:5 says, "He saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy." 

If we worship God only in fear of hell or hope in paradise, we may be missing the true beauty of His merciful grace. It motivates us, not by fear, to a goal that calls us onward and upward. We must let His everlasting beauty shine through us to a world that so desperately needs something beautiful.

 Lord, Help me discard the extra baggage of fear that trips me up in my relationship with you. Let me live, learn, rest, work, and be perfected in that love with my eyes ever focused on your everlasting beauty. Amen