Grandmother’s Favorite December 22, 2015

Read Matthew 5:43-48

Matthew 5:45, 48      that you may be children of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.

Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.

2 Corinthians 7:1     Therefore, since we have these promises, dear friends, let us purify ourselves from everything that contaminates body and spirit, perfecting holiness out of reverence for God.

Ephesians 5:1     Follow God's example, therefore, as dearly loved children

Luke 6:35     But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then your reward will be great, and you will be children of the Most High, because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked.

Acts 14:17     Yet he has not left himself without testimony: He has shown kindness by giving you rain from heaven and crops in their seasons; he provides you with plenty of food and fills your hearts with joy."

My sister has three grandsons, all nearly grown now. When the boys were young and for years afterward, she told each one that he was her favorite. Because she always did this within earshot of the others, the three boys grew up knowing that their grandmother loved them equally.

God loves us similarly. But we sometimes fall into believing that only we are blessed, and we too readily look down on other people. Or, we wonder why others’ prayers are being answered immediately when ours are delayed. And when we do so, we miss the mark, forgetting God’s abundant and equal love.

For me, it is as simple as recalling the lyrics, “Jesus loves me! This I know, for the Bible tells me so.” Yes, God loves me. And at the same time, God loves everyone else. We can do well when we accept God’s love as my sister’s grandsons accepted her love, knowing that all of us are loved equally.