God is off the market

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  God is off the market

“It’s garbage”, I thought, “why should I pay so much for it?”

We were going to make hibiscus (zobo) drink that day, and I was put in charge of the market runs. We needed some pineapple skins to add flavour to the drink so it was included in the budget.

For some reason, I thought we would get the pineapple skins either for free or at a giveaway price. “They’re going to be trashed anyway”, I told myself.

On reaching the market, I was shocked at the price the fruit vendor was demanding I pay for the pineapple skins. It wasn’t more than what I could afford, but I just believed that was a ridiculous amount to pay for garbage; he was going to throw it away if no one buys it except if he wants to start selling fruit flies by the next day.

Welcome to the world, where everyone gives something to get another.

Embracing the one in the mirror

Today, many people take pride in the price they pay to get something, no matter how little the item seems.

Somehow, we’ve let that spill into how we receive things from God. We want to pay for everything. We take pride in how many hours we spend praying, the several times we read through the Bible in a year and the list goes on.

Truth is, we can never earn or deserve God’s love. We perhaps have sung and recited many times, that God’s love is unconditional to the extent that we lose the meaning. The word unconditional means absolutely; without conditions, limitations, reservations or qualifications.

Now, give a careful thought to what it means. God’s love is not tied to any condition. He doesn’t love you ‘only if…’ or ‘because…’

I understand that as responsible people, we work hard, try our best to pay for almost everything we need. The words “nothing goes for nothing” seems to be heard among many.

It is however unfortunate that we approach God with this same mentality. We try to give or do something in exchange for what we wish to get from Him. We often wear ourselves out trying to pay for what He has offered for free.

Because payments are not always in cash or kind, applied efforts or work for God may have been mistaken for a price to curry favour. These things should be done voluntarily, out of the love we have for Him and not as legal tender for anything He gives.

For it was only through 
this wonderful grace 
that we believed in him. 
Nothing we did could 
ever earn this salvation, 
for it was the gracious gift 
from God that brought us 
to Christ!
Ephesians 2:8 TPT

All our acts of righteousness and good works summed up together will never pay up for the love and favour He gives. Everything we ever get from Him is a product of His grace; it’s His gift, from start to finish.

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  it’s His gift, from start to finish.

Stop trying, start believing. You receive His love through faith, believing that His love for you is unconditional.

God’s kindness to you is not performance-based, that’s why His love is said to be unconditional, that is, without conditions…

God does not run a trade-by-barter system. His love and everything He gives is off the market- in fact, it was never there!

Love always, Gem❤️