by Brittney Chan
Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits:
Psalm 103: 2
I really, really love my church. Over the past few years, it’s become my safe and sacred space to worship God completely, alongside the people who have come to mean so much to me. When facing huge life decisions, I often contemplate how my choices will affect Savannah Holy Church of God’s role in my life. It’s THAT valuable to me; but church should be, right? I hope you can say you have a place like that, too…
Every Sunday morning, I have the privilege of co-teaching our Toddler Sunday School class and striving to instill God’s Word into the hearts of our 2-5 year olds. This past weekend, as parents were dropping their children off, I caught the end of a brief conversation between a little guy (we’ll call him Lane) and his mom. She was handing him a dollar bill for our class offering, to which he responded, “No, I want a penny.” I noticed him do this the week before, so this time I asked, “Lane, why do you want a penny?” He moved around with a silly grin on his face. “I like it.” He directed his attention back to Mom, “I want a penny.” She and I looked at each other knowingly and she commented, “If only you knew the value of what you have.”
We moved on quickly from that conversation, but those words lingered a while. “If only you knew the value of what you (already) have.” More than likely, Lane thought a shiny penny had more value than an old crumpled up dollar bill. It’s easy for you and I to think that’s ludicrous, but how often do we do the very same thing? Why do we yearn for meaningless acquisitions when the things we already own have great significance?
If someone else’s blessings look ‘newer’ and ‘shinier’ than our own, we can be so quick to forget all the valuable assets God has already given to us.
Maybe it’s our coworker’s promotion or the neighbor’s new car that catches our covetous eye. Maybe it’s a friend’s new relationship or a colleague’s latest Instagram pictures of their new house… All of these things can look shiny and distract our hearts from the contentment found in God’s plan for us as individuals. While looking at everyone else’s lives, we fail to see how God’s blessed us with loving families, homes and churches. Not to mention, our salvation! There is nothing more worthy to obtain than the knowledge of your sins being covered by the blood of Jesus Christ.
A few sermons ago, our pastor made mention of when God led His children through the wilderness. We know the story: He guided them by a cloud during the day and a pillar of fire by night. He fed them daily by raining down just enough manna for them. It wasn’t too little and it wasn’t an over abundance. God gave them exactly what they had need of. And He does the same for you and I.
So today, take inventory of your life. Dust off the shelves that hold your experiences and memories. Appraise your relationships and possessions.
Know the value of what you already have. And trust God to supply everything else in His perfect timing!
“Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits: Who forgiveth all thine iniquities; Who healeth all thy diseases; Who redeemeth thy life from destruction; Who crowneth thee with lovingkindness and tender mercies; Who satisfieth thy mouth with good things; so that thy youth is renewed like the eagle’s.”
Psalm 103:2-5
Heavenly Father,
Thank you for all the things You’ve already given to us. Allow our hearts to be filled with thoughts of gratitude when we consider the ways in which You have blessed us. Quiet wandering affections and uproot seeds of discontentment in our lives. Show us the benefits of our relationship with You and bless us as we meditate on Your goodness.
In Jesus’ name, Amen.
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