God-Centered

"If we are not captured by God's personality and character, displayed in his saving work, then all our declarations of thanksgiving are like the gratitude of a wife to a husband for the money she gets from him to use in her affair with another man. It is amazing that this same idolatry is sometimes even true when people thank God for sending Christ to die for them. Perhaps you have heard people say how thankful we should be for the death of Christ because it shows how much value God puts upon us. In other words, they are thankful for the cross as an echo of our worth. What is the foundation of this gratitude?

Jonathan Edwards calls it the gratitude of hypocrites. Why? Because "they first rejoice, and are elevated with the fact that they are made much of by God; and then on that ground, [God] seems in a sort, lovely to them... They are pleased in the highest degree, in hearing how much God and Christ make of them. So that their joy is really a joy in themselves, and not in God". It is a shocking thing to learn that one of today's most common descriptions of the cross - namely, how much of our value it celebrates - may well be a description of natural self-love with no spiritual value... He is showing us what the gospel is for. It is for the glory of God. And God is not glorified if the foundation of our gratitude for the gospel is the worth of its gifts and not the value of the Giver. If gratitude for the gospel is not rooted in the glory of God before the gift of God, it is disguised idolatry. May God grant us a heart to see in the gospel the light of the glory of God in the face of Christ. May he grant us to delight in him for who he is, so that all our gratitude for his gifts will be the echo of our joy in the excellency of the Giver!"

-John Piper, God is the Gospel

WOW! Story of my summer. It's so amazing how the Spirit speaks to you the exact words you need to hear when you need them the most! I feel like this is the first time all summer where I've actually been able to hear God speaking directly to me. I can't believe how patient God is... It's humbling to think that the Lord of the universe, who has no need for me and owes me nothing, loves me and showers me with gifts and blessings - with my family, my friends, my experiences, my skills, my opportunities, my education, my health, His love, and His presence.

Lord, I confess that there are times this summer (more often than not) where I've taken You and Your blessings for granted. I confess that there are times where I've loved these gifts more than You. I've loved my relationships and community more than the God they're supposed to be centered on. I've loved worship music more than the God it's sung to. I've loved the process of learning about You and the idea of You more than I've loved You. Lord, I've loved myself more than I've loved You.

Heavenly Father, right now it kills me that I'd even have to be reminded to love You above everything else in my life. I shouldn't have to pray for You to help me to love You - shouldn't it be as automatic as breathing or blinking? It shouldn't be so hard to do by myself... But it is.

Thank You for being patient with me and loving me. But Lord, it's not Your love that I want. I want You - everything about You. Immerse me in Your Holy Spirit so that my heart harbors a God-centered love and a God-centered love alone. Let it harbor a love that can't be misplaced in anything else but You. Let everything I speak, think, and do be glorifying to You. Jesus, I am grateful for everything You've sacrificed and done for me. I'm grateful for everything You've given to me. I'm grateful that You saved me. But most important of all, Lord, I am grateful for who You are.