Pucker Up!

Colossians 3:2 Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth.

Don’t you just love ‘em? Kids, I mean, and their amazingly funny quirks. One evening I’m reading Emily a bedtime story, or at least I was trying to. She’s got this thing where she kisses things. I’m finishing up the book and ready to kiss her goodnight, so I ask her for a kiss. Here’s what she does. She sits up, turns around, and lays a big one on (guess where?) THE WALL! Seriously? The nasty ole’ wall. I just finished reading her a bedtime story and lovingly singing her favorite song, “twinkle star” as she calls it, and she would rather smooch the wall. I was reminded of a similar situation not too long ago. One evening at bedtime I said I would lay down with her while she fell asleep, so we got comfy and I told her to scoot close and snuggle up and she sticks her stinky little butt on me and says, “snuggle my butt!” in that lovely little singsong voice that kids use. Aren’t they lovely?

You know I am amazed how much we are like that with God. He has done so many wonderful things for us, the most important being salvation through Jesus. And what do we do? We kiss up to the world instead. We give our affection to the world and the things of the world instead of the One who created, saved, and sustains us. Or when we do give Him affection, we wanna give Him our backsides instead of the best we have to offer. Instead of faithfully spending time in His house and serving him we use God’s time for everything else but being with Him. We waste more time joking and talking about frivolous things instead of talking about the things of God, sharing our burdens, or sharing in someone else’s burdens. We fill our lives and our kids’ lives with ridiculous amounts of extra-curricular activities in attempts of feeling accomplished in lieu of finding and taking advantage of daily opportunities to serve God and spend time with Him. Seriously, if it’s God’s house take care of it (you would take care of your own right?), if it’s God’s men (the leadership God has given your church) take care of them (do not expect them to live by the same faith you will not), if it’s God’s money give it to Him and trust what He wants to accomplish with it, if YOU are God’s then act like it by living above the influences of the world instead of just blending in. He has done so much for you, show Him some love! And not just your backside.