1 John 3:1a  How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are!

What would we say to someone who asked us to tell them what Jesus has meant to us – and means to us?  In practical ways, how has He changed our lives and what difference does He make day to day?

These are questions that each of us should ponder and answer for ourselves.  The answers we give will be very revealing because they will reflect how genuine our enthusiasm and joy are for Him.  Are we truly excited to be Christians?  Do our eyes light up when we talk about Jesus?  Do we smile at the thought of Him?  Do we find ourselves overcome with gratitude?

As we think about what our honest answer would be, suppose God spoke out for all to hear and said that eternal life is no more – that once we die, it’s over.  But, that as long as we are alive, all of His promises and provisions in the Bible are still true.  What would our response be?   Would we walk away from Him?

Or – is our life in Christ so rich and wonderful that we would never leave it even if the promise of eternity with God was gone?  This is the point that the earlier questions want to focus on.  What is the reality that we have with Him here and now?  God has lavished His love upon us – that is something He wants us to richly experience and for our lives to reflect.

If your Christian life – your personal relationship with God – was a garden, what would it be like?  Would it be in bloom?  Would it be a tiny corner of the yard or would it be expansive?  Would people love to visit it because of the beauty there?

As we go about our day, please take note of the flowers and blossoms you see.  Let each of them be a reminder of God’s lavish love for us and the rich relationship that He wants each of us to experience daily with Him.