Motivated by His Promises

Looking back at my life, my walk as a Christian was superficial. I would only pray in extreme hardships. When I think about it I wouldn’t want to have a “friend” that would call me only when they were in trouble. I didn’t have a real relationship with God. I had this worldview of God where I thought he was a higher being in the clouds sitting on a bejeweled thrown surrounded by awesome bright light waiting to condemn my every sin. GUILTY, GUILTY, GUILTY, resonated in my mind. I felt unmotivated as a Christian. It was hard for me to read the bible and hard for me to have a regular prayer life. I found it difficult for me to be disciplined and make lasting life changes. I always would hear people in church talk about purpose this and finding purpose. Yet I found myself living day-to-day just to survive and not really living with a purpose even while married with kids. My purposes were to reach my own personal goals, to look good in front of others no matter what the cost was. I didn’t know my true purpose in life. If my circumstances didn’t feel right to me then the whole situation must be wrong and I had to fix it so I could be comfortable again.

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It’s been over 2.5 years since I have felt that way. The turning point for me occurred when I took a class at my church titled, Experiencing God. I was able to discover my life’s purpose. Knowing that I am a light to others as well as my family motivates me to want to set the right example. I realized, from the class, that I was only living for myself. I also learned that true change, discipline, and the distance I felt from my loving Father occurred because I lacked a real love relationship with him. I began to pursue a love relationship with my heavenly Father.

I have always been a person to write in my journal. So when I received a wonderful journal from a sister from the homemakers group, that I attend, I had a plan for it. It’s where I began to write all of my Father’s promises for me.

Psalm 103:8-14 
The Lord is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in love. He will not always accuse, nor will he harbor his anger forever; he does not treat us as our sins deserve or repay us according to our iniquities. For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his love for those who fear him; as far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us. As a father has compassion on his children, so the Lord has compassion on those who fear him; for he knows how we are formed, he remembers that we are dust.

I share Psalm 103 because it keeps me motivated. Knowing the true nature of my Father motivates me to be disciplined, pray, read my bible, and give my very best to my family. I am motivated by God's grace, unconditional love, and redemption. Some days, it’s hard to give my very best but I always come back to the one who sustains me.

What scriptures help you remember how loving, patient, and compassionate our Father is to us?