Last week, my parents blessed me in a huge way. It was as if they sat back and thought, “What’s the most loving and generous thing we could do for Christa right now?” And then they did it.

As that came into my mind, I thought, “What if God always did the most loving and generous thing for me? That sounds like a pretty great deal.”

And then I thought:

Well, what is the most generous and loving thing God can do for me?

While that comes across as a very selfish question, hang with me for a minute or five. After all, we happen to be quite concerned with ourselves, so let’s just ride this thought train out.

Certainly, God has already done the most generous thing for us in giving us Jesus. And once a person believes in Jesus, God’s desire is to change that individual to be holy – just like He is holy. Here are a few Scripture passages on this transformation:

Put off your old self, which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires, and be renewed in the spirit of your minds, and put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness.
Ephesians 4:22-24

Be imitators of God, as beloved children.
And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.
Ephesians 5:1-2

Present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.
Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind.
Romans 12:1-2

We know that when he appears we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is.
And everyone who thus hopes in him purifies himself as he is pure.
1 John 3:2-3

So God is working to change believers to become like Him. And He does it, Romans 5 says, through suffering:

Suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope,
and hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts.
Romans 5:3-5

Let’s cover one more thing. My original question has to do with God’s generosity and love. But since God is love, He is never unloving. He never does anything unloving. What follows is this: God is always acting towards me in generosity and love.

Now back to our original question:

What is the most generous and loving thing God can do for me?

If the most generous and loving thing God can do for me is to change me to be like Jesus –
and if God is always acting towards me in generosity and love –
then this is truth:

What is happening in my life right now
is the most generous and loving thing God can do for me.

 

That thing that just came to your mind? The situation you didn’t ask for and don’t want?
God is bigger than it. And if you allow, He will lovingly use it to make you like Jesus.

It’s as if God thought, “What’s the most generous and loving thing I could do for ______ right now?”
And then He gave you your day – your month – your life.

Why?
So He could use it to make you more like Jesus.

Whatever is happening in your life today is the most loving thing God can do for you. Don’t try to bear it alone. Take your struggles and sufferings back to the One Who gave them to you. He’s strong enough and loving enough to carry it all.

 

Related:
When God’s Word & Real Life Collide