The Question We Never Ask

Some of you may be starting this blog thinking that you have guessed what question I am referring to.  Hate to disappoint you, but this question does not have to do with asking a woman how old she is, how much she weighs or if she is pregnant.  I would agree that these are all questions to steer clear of, but I am going to address a different question in this blog!

From the Mouth of Babes

For those of you who don’t know me, my wife Lindsay and I are the blessed parents of six kids that range in age from six months to seven years old.  Some call us crazy, and I don’t disagree with that, but we are also tremendously blessed.  Life is chaotic almost all the time with six young kids, but there are also so many moments for laughter and for God to teach us so much through our kids.  This past Sunday, we loaded up the kids in the Honda Odyssey (that’s right, 2 adults and 6 kids with car seats in a minivan!) for our normal 25-minute drive to church.  I know all of you reading have or have had perfect children that get along and would never fight or argue in the car, but that’s not us!  It was a normal Sunday and our oldest son Jude did something to aggravate our three-year-old son Justus.  What happened next though caught me off guard and really got me thinking.

Jude asked Justus… “Do you still like me?”  I thought for a few moments and I turned to my wife and said, “I think that question pretty much sums up what we are thinking almost all the time!”  So, there you go.  There’s the question we never ask.

Do you still like me?

Have you ever thought about how often this question comes up in our minds, but we never say it out loud?  Every time we don't have a great interaction with another person, we tend to think this question to ourselves.  Examples include... when you disappoint your spouse, when you miss a special event for your child, when you forget to call your mom on her birthday, when you don’t read before a small group Bible study, when you don’t volunteer to keep nursery at church, when your friends don’t like your Instagram post, when you pass a friend that failed to notice you and many more.  However, it is in our interaction with God where this question has the most significance.  Every time we sin, we are tempted in our hearts to ask God... do you still like me?

Romans 5:6-8 says, "For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. For one will scarcely die for a righteous person—though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die—but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us."  Verse 8 is so powerful... "God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us."  Jesus' death and resurrection emphatically answers this question that we are constantly asking with a "Yes"!  God doesn't like us less or love us less because of our sin. God loves us in spite of our sin and that loves never wavers or changes!

Remember...

So this week when you sin and are tempted to ask God this question, remember the good news about Jesus and how there is nothing that can separate you from his love.  And when you are tempted to ask this question of others, remember these few things:

1. God's opinion of you is what really matters

2. Relationships will not be perfect or easy on earth

3. Try your best to think the best of others no matter what

4. Extend grace to others as God has extended grace to you

5. Thank God that he doesn't hold faults against us as we tend to do with others

Noah

To live a purposeful life, we must know how much God loves us!  The Unstatus Your Quo® Growth Plan helps Christians clarify their purpose and take small steps to fulfill that purpose!  Start Session #1 for FREE by clicking HERE.