Do you know this? One feels that one is not sufficiently beautiful, not sufficiently old, not sufficiently young, not sufficiently pious, not sufficiently Christian, not sufficiently to be noticed. There is a lack on all sides. The money is missing, the perspective is missing, the success is missing. Not having is the keynote in the attitude towards life.
Life in shortage
Christians, too, often live in scarcity. Many feel inferior. Some of this may even be fueled by Christian teachings. This is a disaster. A lack of spirit, a lack of holiness, a lack of everything that makes me a Christian? Thus and similarly, many take care of the everyday deficiencies, as if one has received nothing. It is a real testimony of poverty if I should constantly reach out for something for which the gospel has already made free. Isn’t that strange?
God testifies to us of His grace in Christ. We shouldn’t pretend like we don’t know. God has given us His Spirit, who testifies with our spirit that we are children of God. We should not pretend as if we have to pray this spirit down from heaven all the time. If God gives us a gift and we behave Sunday after Sunday as if we had not received the gift, is there not a problem? Should we not rather begin to give thanks for what is assuredly vouchsafed to us in the Gospel?
God looks at us in Christ
We are “in Christ.” God looks at us in Christ (Eph 1:3 Eph 1:13 Eph 2:5). When God looks at us, He sees Christ. When we see our mistakes before our eyes, God sees something completely different. He has Christ before His eyes when He looks at us. That is a big difference. It is a crucial new foundation for our thinking. Our life is “hidden together with Christ in God,” as Paul writes:
“If then you have been raised together with Christ, seek the things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Look for that above, not for that on earth! For you died and your life is hidden with Christ in God.
Col 3:1-2
The way is clear
Only when we start from the reality of the gospel does our attitude toward life change. When we begin to give thanks for what we have, instead of getting stuck in not having, transformation can take place. We have received wealth, perhaps not in every way. Perhaps it is indeed lacking in many places in our lives. Perhaps we feel great need in ourselves and in the people who are close to us. But God looks at us in Christ. The way to Him is clear.
Thank. First. Don’t get stuck in a rut.
