A Matter of Perspective

I was really blessed today to take some time to free my mind, reflect, and just be quiet before God and allow Him to speak to my heart. Psalm 34:8 says "O taste and see that the LORD is good: blessed is the man that trusteth in him." Somebody can tell me about the goodness of the Lord. I can open my Bible and read about the goodness of the Lord just as well. But until I taste and see for myself that the Lord is good and experience God myself, I don't really know that...it doesn't mean nearly as much to me.

I've been blessed in my babysitting job. For a long time, I was learning to be content with it, but now I'm actually enjoying it. Today a thought came to me. This eight year old boy really likes to brag about me. He's convinced I'm an awesome chef (I'm glad somebody thinks so), I'm a "pro" at Dutch Blitz, and likewise a "pro" at badminton. Now, I am pretty good at cooking, at least I think so, but I know many people who are much better at it than I am but he doesn't know that. Again, I'm pretty decent at Dutch Blitz, but I know many who are much better at it than me and he's only learning now. He's also fresh at the sport of badminton but so am I. Yes, I played badminton in high school, but the coach's elementary school boys beat me no problem. And had any seniors been in watching me practice, they would have been scratching their heads wondering how I managed to make the team. But see, this eight year old doesn't see that. He's only half as old as I am and lacks experience...he just hasn't seen as much as I have. It's like when I tell a six year old girl that I'm 16, she thinks I'm old. It's a matter of perspective.

So, when I was reflecting on this I remembered a portion of scripture I recently read in Luke 7 where a woman comes to Jesus, washing his feet with her tears, wiping them with her hair and then anointing them. In verse 47, Jesus says "Wherefore I say unto thee, Her sins, which are many, are forgiven; for she loved much: but to whom little is forgiven, the same loveth little." Thinking of this, a man who is a convicted murderer, who has done all kinds of horrible things and will be spending the rest of his life behind bars, when He discovers God's love and learns what Jesus has done for Him, and that all his sins are forgiven, he will have much greater love for God than someone who was only forgiven a lie he told. To the one that told a lie, salvation, forgiveness, and the remission of sins doesn't mean nearly as much so his love will not be as great. Suppose there was a group of people chosen, for whatever reason, that automatically had eternal life without Jesus, which we know can never happen. But if this were by chance the case, Jesus' death and resurrection and what He accomplished on the cross may not mean anything because they have not experienced what the next person has. He has not experienced the joy and relief when Jesus says "Thy sins are forgiven thee." Does that make any sense? I hardly know how to put it all in words.

Well, that's a bit of what was on my mind tonight. God bless.