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God's Overzealous Abundant Generosity

God’s Overzealous Abundant Generosity

January 20, 2019 by brianmichaelsteck Leave a Comment

Celebration is the theme of the winter winter for our family. We welcomed a newborn into our home this past fall, enjoy family and Thanksgiving bounty, birthdays for two of our kids and Christmas, all within the matter of a few short months. This weekend we watched our youngest son turn 2 and melt with delight as he opened plush teddy bears and plentiful gifts.

As parents, we feel caught between wanting to lavish our children with presents, so they can see a glimpse of how much we love them, while not wanting to spoil them and feed the “me-centric” spirit of our culture.

So while we watch our little ones gleefully open presents, we ponder whether it’s better to just hide some of the remaining presents for the next birthday or holiday, so as to space out the seemingly overwhelming abundance.

What would you do?

But today, as more toys were opened in celebration of the precious life of my son — filling up all the remaining square footage of our modest but beautiful home — I couldn’t help but wonder, “God, how do you see us? How do you give gifts?”

I felt the resounding sense that God’s generosity is not sufficient or adequate, but His love is zealous, abundant and outrageously generous — ‘gratuitous’ as my ultimate frisbee buddies might call it.

God’s love is more than enough. It’s fierce and overwhelming.

And yet, because I know His character, I know that he holds back as well. He didn’t hold back in Christ, but he holds back in all that he wants to give us… frankly, because we can’t handle it.

If God were to give us all of His love at once, we’d simply die. Really. I mean that. It’d be like a supersonic shockwave of unrelenting, exuberant love.

How do I know that?

Look at His word. I challenge you: read the Bible cover to cover this year and as you finish the last chapter, I dare you to tell me that you don’t see an unrelenting love of a Father who is passionately pursuing his faithless and undeserving children — because, while we don’t deserve His love, it is ours — helplessly ours. We can’t run from it or hide from it. He just loves us.

How can he not though? We are made in His image.

Just like my son is made in my image, I can’t look at him and not see me. I see my nature and likeness engrained in his essence, and I love what I see.

I’m not perfect as a dad — in fact, those that know me know that I’m nowhere near perfect. But even as an imperfect father, I want to give the world to my kids. I want all good things for them. Even if that means seasons of pain because their is greater life and pleasure on the other side of that temporal disappointment and challenge.

And if I, as an imperfect father, want such good for my kids, how much more does God have beauty and goodness and abundant life in store for us?

Today, pause and open yourself to God’s overzealous, abundant generosity. He is crazy about us, and if He holds back a gift, know that it’s only because He loves us enough to not let His love destroy us.

“Lord, we serve You, an unrelentingly loving Father who knows what’s best for us, even when we don’t understand it. We can’t comprehend your goodness towards us. Help us to receive your generosity and enjoy you fully, while knowing that there is always more. We love you Daddy-Father.”

Filed Under: Worship Tagged With: Father Heart of God, Generosity, love

Leaning Into All The God Has For me

Leaning into all that God has for me

October 30, 2017 by brianmichaelsteck Leave a Comment

Something that God has put on my heart over the last year or two is that He has so much for us, much of which, we never actualize. Most of it, I can’t see and don’t fully understand. But, the realization that there may be more “untapped” blessings, opportunities and expressions of God that I haven’t experienced yet, has begun a journey of leaning into all that God has for me.

Getting started: Facing fears.
When it comes to God, I would venture to say that there is far more unknown than known. Humans have a hard time with change, and with letting go of control. We become fearful and start to wonder if we’ll be safe, accepted, loved, or if the changes and relinquished “control” (whatever control we delusional think we have) will work in our favor.

But God is both knowable — He invites us to uncover His mysteries and reveals Himself in all of creation [Rom 1:20] — and yet unfathomable. There are never-ending expanses of His greatness, glory, creativity and passion. His love is unending and His wisdom incomprehensible. At best, those who study God their whole lives can only claim to say, “I know God, but I am only just getting started.”

So in the face of the unknown, it is right to feel apprehension. Yet, to move towards growth, it looks like letting go of our felt-need of having all the answers or being comfortable with the outcome. As I begin my journey of leaning into all the God has for me, it looks like engaging in areas that aren’t already “normal” in my life.

For me, that looks like:

  • Strengthening my “Spirit Man” (See The Spiritual Man by Watchman Nee)
  • Engaging in the work of the Holy Spirit (See The Holy Spirit: An Introduction by John Bevere)
  • Learning to hear the voice of God (See Is That Really You God? by Loren Cunningham)
  • Learning to pray (See Red Moon Rising by Dave Roberts and Pete Greig and The Circle Maker by Mark Batterson
  • Educating myself on my royal sonship in Christ (See Spiritual Slavery To Spiritual Sonship by Jack Frost and The Supernatural Ways of Royalty by Kris Vallotton and Bill Johnson

And that’s just for starters.

Leaning into what God has for me also looks like exercising simplicity, contentedness, joy, rest, social justice, fellowship, worship…

I’m just touching the surface. God has so much in store for me… and you!… that I’m just starting to understand that one of the most painful and disobedient things I can do is to not lean into him. If God has more in store for me — healings, knowledge, freedom, abundance, deeper intimacy with Himself — then why wouldn’t I lean into all that He has for me?!

How are you learning into all that God has for you? Let me know in the comments below.

Filed Under: Prayer Tagged With: Father Heart of God, Holy Spirit, Prayer

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