Day of Deserving

I've been debating with myself (as long as I don't answer, I'm okay, right?) on this topic for a couple of weeks now. Often, I indicate in my prayers with God how undeserving I am for His grace, but thankful He gives it to me anyway. But, I've been pondering whether or not I should say I am undeserving. God created me. He knew me before my mother knew me. He knew I would be riddled with sin before I even made my first mistake. He gave me life and loves me. Despite all my imperfections (and there are MANY), He said I was worth it to Him. So, should I say I am undeserving if God himself said "Child, I love you anyway?" Or, should I say I am deserving and thankful for His love despite the many ways I fall short.

Let's take the topic down from His upper story for a moment and consider your relationship with your children (for those who do not have children, think about your relationship with your parents or those to whom you lean for parental guidance and love). Would you want to hear from your children that they think they are undeserving of the countless times you've continued loving them even when they make mistakes? Would you want your children to feel they are undeserving of your love? Would you want your children to know they deserve your unconditional love because they are your children? This doesn't mean they should not be thankful, should not try to follow the rules, and should not take you for granted. It means they are deserving of your love and you grant them grace when they make mistakes. Sound familiar? 

Day 89: Heavenly Father, thank you for loving me. Thank you for giving me this awesome chance at a life close to you. Thank you for providing me free will to come to you to fill the empty void versus making me a God robot.

Lord, how should we receive your love? You know I love you and am thankful for your grace. Should my thanksgiving be in joyous celebration because you believed I was worth everything, even the loss of your Son? Or, should my thanksgiving be in relief that despite my many flaws, you grant me grace. It seems to me the first parallels more closely with the human parent-child relationship. Does it matter? Perhaps, for some to remain humble to your grace and love, they must consider themselves undeserving for fear pride and arrogance would make an appearance in the relationship if they viewed themselves deserving of your love. Perhaps to others, such as myself, knowing you view me as deserving helps me extend your love to others, even those who may not "deserve" it from a worldly perspective.

Father God, how extraordinary it is to ponder the dynamics of our relationship by way of prayer. I am thankful for this venue to share my thoughts with you and await your wisdom in all facets of my life. Thank you for providing an open and honest relationship with you. Thank you for allowing me to ask questions without fear of ridicule. Thank you for always revealing your answers in your time, as it is always the right time.

I love you.

Source: http://doseofencouragement.wordpress.com/2011/12/18/love-love-and-more-love/