Our Compassionate God


I love what God’s done in my life. Just about every day, He floors me again with His gentleness.

It took me a long time to see Him that way. Like so many others, I had a distorted view of God that painted Him as distant and angry, just looking for a chance to kick me. I was consumed with anxiety that I wasn’t ‘getting it right,’ whatever ‘it’ was.

My Christianity was a formula; actually, it was more like a haunted house. You know, the kind at the county fair you have to walk through? I was never brave enough to enter those. Yet, years later, I found myself living my walk with God as a maze of sudden falls, warped reflections, and scares around each corner. I never knew what was coming next, but I was consumed with preparing myself so that I wouldn’t be surprised when something bad happened.

Then one day, God began speaking to me about love. I didn’t know how to handle it at first. I knew I loved Him – that was enough for me. But He wanted to take it further. That’s when He started with the gentleness.

What do I mean by that? I mean things like looking at me with tears in His eyes as He shows me the source of a wrong response I’m having to Him or others. I mean surprising me with a quick refreshing breath of His presence in the middle of my day. I mean surrounding me with His beauty when I’m getting overwhelmed with the ugliness attacking the lives of those I love.

I know God is all-powerful, strong and mighty. I was already familiar with those aspects of Him. What I didn’t know was that power could be accompanied by tenderness.

When He speaks softly rather than shouting…pulls me closer instead of pushing me away…waits for me to give Him what I’m clutching, rather than yanking it from my hands…all of these things have taught me more about love than all the books in the world.

And, as you can imagine, this love not only changes me, it’s shaping how I love others. His gentleness smoothes my harsh edges and softens my automatic responses to those around me. Patience, kindness, and selflessness are being formed in me as He pours it out over me.

I appreciate that God is omniscient and omnipotent. But I am also grateful beyond words that He is “compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in love” (Psalm 103:8).

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