When my head hits the pillow at night, before sleep overcomes me, I want to start praying an idea that I got from Ken Gire who was quoted in the book I just reviewed (What’s Next? by H. Norman Wright). I want to start asking God, “Did the life I lived today please you?”
Not that the things I do will make Him love me more, and not that the things that I do will make me more worthy of His love. I want to live a life that pleases Him because it pleases me to express my love for Him by becoming more like Him. I want to live a life that pleases Him because I know that is His will for me.
So does that mean I check off a to-do list of my accomplishments? Or does it mean admiring the length of my list of good deeds for the day? Ken Gire reminds us that this is indeed NOT what we should do. It’s a matter of one easy question:
"Have I loved well today?" A simple question. It encompasses everything God asks of us.
So as I think about today, could people feel God’s love in my presence, hear His love in my words and my attitude, see His love in the way I acted? At work, I listened to others’ opinions and pondered their concerns before jumping in with my own ideas. I offered to take the afternoon off to care for my sick niece. I disciplined my teenager with restrictions that made her unhappy but was necessary because I love her.
But maybe there were some things I could have done to love better. I could have been more yielding behind the wheel on the drive home from work. I could have been more respectful to my boss. I could have been more loving to my husband in my attitude on the phone this morning.
Then I remind myself it’s not supposed to be a list of failures nor a list of good deeds. Maybe it can be a simple yes or no answer instead.
I resolve that I will love well again tomorrow and ask God to show me all the ways that I can do this better. And may at the end of the day, I can say, ‘Yes, today I loved well.’
This post is linked up at:
Soli Deo Gloria
Working Kansas Homemaker
A Pause on the Path
What a great commitment and a good thing to do on your walk with God, as well as being a good witness to others. Thanks so much for linking up as well :)
ReplyDeleteSometimes I find really great ideas but the follow-through is hard. I love your blog! Thanks for the opportunity to link up there!
DeleteI found your blog through Soli Deo Gloria and just wanted to stop by to say hi!
ReplyDeleteBlessings to you!
http://heretofindhim.blogspot.com
Thanks for dropping by! I checked out your blog and enjoyed it!
DeleteI saw that you stopped by :) Thank you. I'm always excited to share what God has been teaching me with other people.
DeleteWow, Paula. This is really intriguing. It would be really hard for me to ask this question and not go into self-evaluation mode. On the other hand, if I left it as an opportunity to take general stock or for it to serve as a reminder of how I want to please God, it might motivate me to err more often on the side of love. Great post -- am blessed that you linked it to SDG today.
ReplyDeleteYes, I can relate as well - wouldn't want to turn into an over-evaluation of myself! Maybe more of a general attitude for the day. Thanks for the opportunity to link up on your blog!
DeleteAmazing post.
ReplyDeleteOh, this so good. How I want to please God. Sometimes in retrospect we can see places to grow or blessings we've been given. What a beautiful habit to begin.
ReplyDeleteHave I loved well today? A great question for self-reflection - not to beat ourselves over the head, but to challenge ourselves.
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing, it was definitely food for thought.