God is reallllly good. Like I'm not sure I can describe quite how good He is. I didn't really understand when I was young why God could ask us all to worship Him, why it wasn't a bad thing for Him to want 'glory' or 'praise' for Himself. If we aren't supposed to be selfish surely He shouldn't be either?! But one day it just clicked. I think I was watching a sunrise, or something, and I was so struck by how beautiful it was. And then I started to have friends who I really cared for, more than just because they helped me pass time, but because I think I was learning what the friendship kind of love really is... to care about someone, and want to see them happy, and looking forward to seeing them, and seeing something and wishing they could have seen it because you know they would have appreciated it...
what I mean to say is, as one of my friends would say, I started to enjoy the finer things in life. I saw things that were really good. I really enjoy a delicious meal. I appreciate the beauty of nature (when I remember to look). And it dawned on me, that I believe there is a Creator, and therefore He made all of these beautiful lovely good things. And if He made them, they came from Him, and are a reflection of how beautiful and lovely and good He in fact is. So when He asks us to worship Him, it is not Him being some selfish do-badder trying to big himself up in pride, it is a perfect God wanting us to enjoy His perfection by enjoying it, ie enjoying Him! Appreciating good things is worshipping God. His Kingdom coming on this earth is good things happening on this earth. It is sickness being healed, it is broken relationships being fixed, it is hurting people turning into joyful people...
When people see my faith and think that it is a list of rules that I sometimes stick to but feel bad if I don't, they're wrong. My faith is that I have been given permission to spend time with a God who is perfect and good and lovely and beautiful and delicious and sunny and made everything that I love.... and some of that means that He sets standards, for example not to gossip, not because He wants me not to have fun, but that gossip spreads hurt and not healing, and God is a God of healing not hurt. Or flirting with all the boys, and flirting endlessly without committing does not reflect God, as He is a God of faithfulness and longs for us to understand this through our relationships with others.
I suppose this post brings questions of why there are bad things as well as the good things... that will have to wait for a future post. I'm just excited about seeing more of God's good Kingdom come on this earth.
