Step 3: We made a decision to turn our life and will over to the care of God.

March 2

Scripture reading for today: Ephesians 2

She plopped down in my office with a decisive air of despair – no upbeat happy camper persona today. “I need to ask you a question,” she began.

“Shoot.”

“I want to know if you really think it is reasonable to expect me to make a decision to turn my life over to the care of God.”

“What do you think?” I respond.

“I think you’re nuts.”

“OK.” I answer with no particular passion. I’ve been called worse.

“You see, Teresa, here’s the deal. I’ve never had a single person in my life who has ever taken decent care of me.” I nod in agreement. She’s right. Every care provided she has ever had has been a humongous disappointment.

“So why should I trust anyone, even God?”

It’s a reasonable question. Most of us craft our earliest views about God from the adults in our lives. A child is defenseless, and the adults in their lives are the first introduction they have to a “godlike” figure. It’s hard to make a decision to believe that man or God cares for you when you’ve never had a human love you well.

I don’t know how to answer my despairing friend. But I do know that my deciding to believe came about as a result of my commitment to discovery. Long before I decided to trust, I decided to study.

Our readings in Ephesians can help us understand the mind of Christ and his intentions toward us. It’s up to us to make the decision whether we believe what He says about who He is, or we fall for cheap, fake, and false imitations of him based on our limited experiences.

Thought for today: Long before he laid down earth’s foundations, he had us in mind, had settled on us as the focus of his love, to be made whole and holy by his love. Long, long ago he decided to adopt us into his family through Jesus Christ. (What pleasure he took in planning this!) Ephesians 1:4-5 The Message

Thought for tomorrow: I don’t know what kind of role models you have for God. But I do know that the genuine God is all about making us whole and holy by his love. Notice that this doesn’t say we get whole and holy by his discipline. Or his wrath. Or his judgment. No. It is His love that compels him to adopt us into his family through Jesus. And this pleased him. This was not a hard decision for him. He loves us; he’s made the decision; he’s settled on you as the focus of his love. You can’t change that. You just have to decide if you can accept all that pleasure.

March 2
Teresa McBean

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