Friday; February 26

How do we feel when our children make us proud? Depending on the age of our children, it could be as simple as sharing a cookie with their sibling or as grand as receiving the Nobel peace prize, but there is a special feeling when our children do what they are supposed to do. It may be a vicarious type of joy, but it is pride nonetheless.

The other day, I was reading from Solomon’s proverbs and came across this interesting observation, “My son, if your heart is wise, my own heart also will be glad; and my inmost being will rejoice when your lips speak what is right.” (Proverbs 23:15-16). As I read this, I got to thinking about how great it is when my children bring joy to my life (which they do often), but then something struck me. Can God say this about me? Do I exhibit wisdom and goodness that bring joy to Him? It is easy to focus on those times when we bring shame and despair on the Lord, but how could our lives change if we focused on living our lives in a way that we bring joy to God? No, we can never be good enough to earn His respect; but we can live in such a way that we can be pleasing to Him.
We are children of a wonderful Father who cares about us and wants to support us. Let’s make it a point to live with the qualities that bring joy, not produce disappointment.

Think About It!

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