posted on Jan, 7 2008 @ 08:09 PM
When he was alive, my Grandpa said two things that have always stuck with me. He said, “Honey, you have the tendency to wear rose colored glasses”
and “hindsight is 20/20”. He was right about both. Hindsight being 20/20, I think that perhaps I wore rose colored glasses because what the world
was really like scared me. Maybe it was a defense mechanism. If I pretended that the world was all good and pleasant, it wouldn’t have been so
disappointing. Maybe that is what has prevented me from ever having to see a therapist or psychologist for depression like so many people in the world
these days. Never before in history have more kids and teenagers been on mood-altering drugs that enable them just to make it through the day. For
many adults, a Prozac and two martinis is what helps them cope and keep their chins just above water. How sad that this is what the world has come
to.
The fact of the matter is this: Life is a box of chocolates and it is full of the one’s you stick your finger in the bottom of and put back. In fact
maybe one of those in the box ends up being a good one worthy of eating slowly and savoring. For some people there is literally not a day that goes by
in which they aren’t disappointed in themselves, something or someone. For me, my life has been filled with someone’s who disappointed me. Without
naming names (to protect the not-so-innocent) I’ll say that they ranged from family members to trusted girl friends to boyfriends, bosses and
coworkers and even strangers on the internet. I guess that’s pretty much every living person on the planet that I’ve ever had contact with.
That’s a scary thought, isn’t it?
I think that the most painful disappointment there is, is being hurt by someone who claims to love you. When that happens, you can’t help but wonder
what love is or if that person was ever trustworthy or if they ever truly loved you at all. And then you have those who profess to be Christians with
their mouths, but then turn around and leave church and leave hypocritical lives. I encountered a quote recently that really summed this up for me. It
said, “The single greatest cause of atheism in the world today is Christians, who acknowledge Jesus with their lips, then walk out the door, and
deny Him by their lifestyle. That is what an unbelieving world simply finds unbelievable.”
Now don’t get me wrong, I’ve also known some very good, faithful, trustworthy and loving people in my life but if I were to list them in two
categories, I know that one’s who disappointed me would far outweigh the good, faithful, trustworthy and loving. And I have to ask myself, why is
that? Is it because of me? Or them? Or is it just a sign of the times that we find ourselves living in? If you take a look around (sans rose colored
glasses) and really get a good look at the world around you I believe you will find the answer. Sit in a public place and watch people interact. Turn
the news to CNN or MSNBC and watch for a while. Surf the web and see what the most popular websites like MySpace and YouTube are all about and take a
look at what they are advertising and promoting. Read a few blogs. Check out the comments people make to one another. Pick up a newspaper or a
magazine and read the headlines. Do they seem to jive with what God asks of us? Or, are they reminiscent of the following scripture:
But know this: difficult times will come in the last days. For people will be lovers of self, lovers of money, boastful, proud, blasphemers,
disobedient to parents, ungrateful, unholy, unloving, irreconcilable, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, without love for what is good,
traitors, reckless, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, holding to the form of religion but denying its power. Avoid these
people! 2 Timothy 3:1-5
People, we are living in a world of “Me, Me, Me!” We have more love for ourselves than we do the One who created us. We worship the almighty
dollar rather than the Almighty Father. We are boastful, proud and blasphemers. Our children are disobedient towards their parents. We are all
ungrateful, unholy, unloving, irreconcilable slanderers without self control. We are brutal and without love for what is GOOD. We are traitors,
reckless, conceited and lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God. And most of us hold to some form of religion but absolutely and completely deny
its power.
This is why Father comes first in my life; because there is not a single person on this planet who can hold a candle to Him. God is perfect in every
way, every shape and every form and He has never stopped loving me or providing for me. He has never gone back on a promise He made to me. He has
never turned His back on me. He has never gossiped behind my back OR stabbed me in the back. He has never called me names. He has never asked me to do
anything He himself wouldn’t do. He has never said one thing and done another. He is never too busy to talk to. As His creation I am beautiful and
unique in His eyes. He has given me gifts of talent and taught me how to be a better person. He has shown me how to obtain Eternal Life and then given
me life-saving rebukes when I stumbled and picked me up and dusted me off and sent me back along my way while He patiently, compassionately and
graciously watched and waited. Never once has God disappointed me.
While I love everyone just as we are taught to in the Scriptures to do and I have friends and family members that are very dear to me, not a single
person in my life so far has ever managed to come close to the glory of our Heavenly Father. When I searched for truth, the truth was revealed. If
ever I was in need of help, direction or advice, He listened and provided an answer. When I went to Him in prayer my prayers were answered. If ever I
was in need of a way, it was made one appear right before my very eyes. He is the only one who has never disappointed me and He has been completely
faithful and trustworthy. He is the only One that I can fully depend on to handle any challenge that life throws my way. He is the only One who truly
loves me for who I am as well as what I’m not. And because of all this and much more, He is who I can place all my faith and trust in and He will
always come first in my life. I am safe with Him, because He is more than just my Creator; He's my Father.
Why does Father come first in YOUR life? Or does He?