GOD IS CHEERING FOR US
In the first grade, our granddaughter, Tesia, enrolled in piano lessons. We joyfully accepted the invitation to her recital. One-by-one the young entertainers approached the stage and “tickled the ivories,” attempting to manufacture musical magic from the keyboard.
But sitting through this “melodic extravaganza” required superhuman endurance. My ears longed to be locked in a room with people scraping their nails on chalkboards. By the recital’s conclusion, I was scanning the room for sharp objects with which to commit hari-kari. Okay, it wasn’t quite that bad!
But as each pianist completed their performance, guess how we responded? Applause. At the end, they garnered a standing ovation. Why in the name of Paderewski would we reward such a poor performance? Because the room was filled with parents and grandparents who loved these tiny musicians. We weren’t applauding the quality of their performance, but cheering for their effort, as… ahem… horrible as it was.
As believers, our lives resemble a piano recital for our Heavenly Father. But unlike me, he derives great pleasure from our performance. Even when we don’t get it right. Even when we mess up royally. Even when our best efforts mirror a first-grade piano recital. Psalm 147:11 states, “The Lord takes pleasure in those who fear him, in those who hope in his steadfast love” (ESV).
God’s approval isn’t based on our perfect performance, but his love for us. “He saved us because of his mercy, not because of any good things we did” (Titus 3:5, ERV). I cheered for Tesia, because she is my granddaughter and I love her. It’s called “unconditional acceptance.” How comforting to know “God is for us” (Romans 8:31).
In no way does this mean God overlooks our sin. The very fact that God is in our corner rooting for us demands he discipline us as a loving Father (Hebrews 12:7-11). When our thoughts, words, and actions don’t conform to his will, he loves us enough to step in and apply a bit of heavenly correction.
But never for one second does he reject us. We simply need to continue pounding on the keys, rather than tearing up the music and stomping offstage. He creates a delightful melody out of our noise. He’s right on the front row cheering us on, like a proud Papa. Even when our sour notes wreak havoc on everyone else’s ears.
Principle: God derives great pleasure from our performance, even when we mess up.
Ponder:
Under what circumstances are you most likely to beat yourself up because of your poor performance?
How does understanding God’s unconditional acceptance of your performance help you overcome your struggles?
Pursue: For a deeper dive, study Romans 8:31-39.
Prayer: “Heavenly Father, thank you, that unlike the world, you don’t judge me based on my performance. Help me to embrace your unconditional love for me.”
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