Beyond Brownie Points

Hey there beautiful soul, welcome back!

Growing up, I confess, God seemed like this cosmic referee, handing out penalties for every misstep I made. It was a lot like how our parents raised us – firm, with a sprinkle of love and a dash of "because I said so." Now, add to that mix all those bedtime stories we were told about giants, wizards, and gods enforcing the rules.

No wonder we thought God was just a rule-enforcer, handing out heavenly brownie points for eating our spiritual veggies.

In my youth, God was preached as the prevention for youthful temptations (which is true by the way), but only if we followed the prescription perfectly. Again, it was like a sticker chart – more prayers, more church, more good deeds = more points.

Well, I failed at taking my vitamins. I couldn't be perfect, so I joined the "worldly side." Didn't do so well either; actually I can say it was worse than failing to adhere to the heavenly rules. Interestingly, this was the same trap I fell into in my season as an adult when my life went into shambles.

Oh, where was the song More Thank You Think I am by Danny Gokey during these times!?

Little did I know, the real game-changer wasn't accumulating brownie points.

I stumbled upon this revelation way into adulthood, way past my sticker-collecting days. Turns out, heaven isn't earned through a merit system. It's about knowing God, not just fearing being on His naughty list.

Consider Noah. In a world so wicked that it warranted divine cleanup, he somehow found favor with God. No Ten Commandments to refer to, no Bible to flip through, no fancy faith app to entertain him, and certainly no ritualistic Sunday service to attend. Plus, he was just as human as the rest of us, complete with his share of weak spots (cue the Genesis 9:21 drunken episode). I couldn't help but scratch my head – what was the secret sauce?

It was all about 'relationship.

Noah must've been in cahoots with God, engaging in some divine chit-chat. I mean, what else was there? In a world spiraling into chaos, Noah got to kick back and have a conversation with the Almighty. And you know those conversations were legit because, well, they led to an ark, a flood, and a rainbow – the ultimate divine promise still hanging in our skies today. It left me in awe.

So, I started having conversations with God. Long ones, short ones, and some in-between. Happy ones, sad ones, and some downright worn out in pain and frustration. Worried I was going nuts at times, but then He responded – through an inner voice, His word, songs, dreams, nature, and even people. Lately, He has been finding me on Instagram - no joke!

Here's some of what I've learned on this journey:

1. God is ridiculously good, merciful and gracious: Rain and sunshine for everyone, whether you acknowledge Him or not. Check Matt 5:45. He's not a grump. In fact he asks us to taste and see that He is good in Psalm 34:8. He doesn't give us what we deserve and showers us with what we don't. Like not wiping us out in a modern-day Noah scenario.

2. God wants am engaging relationship, talking with (not at) us: He strolled in the garden of Eden, wanting to hang out with Adam and Eve. Not your typical distant deity move. Abraham, Moses, Noah and Paul had actual conversations with God. Imagine that – a deity invested in human chit-chat. Even the angels wonder why He bothers in Hebrews 2:16!

3. God sent Jesus to the cross to atone for our sins: Why? So that sin wouldn't be the barrier preventing us from connecting with Him. An elusive god would have outlawed the whole bunch of us, leading to damnation without a care for what that truly meant.

Consider your human connections – meaningful because of time, engagement, and conversations. Even in the workplace, bosses become less mysterious during casual coffee or lunch dates when you engage in conversations about the aspects that make us human.

Same with God. Prayer, reading the Bible, worship, and community – that's our coffee date with the Divine that builds the relationship. And that is what brings joy to God. Just as we carefully choose relationships to invest in, we must also choose to connect with God. Similar to deal-breakers, His rules are only the boundaries we know of in our human connections to safeguard the relationship.

It's not about earning brownie points; it's not about a checklist. It's about genuine connection that in due time, will yield a rhythm, love language and themed-dates that work perfectly for both of you. Of course, He still deserves reverence; He's the Almighty God, incomparable!

Do consider engaging Him as a friend.

Unlike the playground dynamics, He won't reject you.

Remember the days on the playground? Friendships often began with a simple question – either someone asking to join or being invited. The chitchat that followed could lead to a connection lasting the entire school year over lunch and playtime, and if you were lucky, even parties and sleepovers.

Well, guess what? Jesus is extending an invitation for you to join Him on His side of the playground, welcoming you into a friendship. To shy to walk across? No worries! You can invite Him over to you, and guess what? He's more than willing to make the first move. The invitation promises an RSVP to an eternal and ultimate heavenly sleepover party with never-ending fun. Imagine that!

My testimony is this: God isn't the stern deity of my childhood.

I pray this 'more-than-you think He is' side of Him unfolds for you too.

Stay tuned, stay blessed!

Harmoniously yours!

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What songs have helped you deepen your relationship with God

that should be on everyone's playlist?

Please share in the comments below.

We will also add it to the Songtimony Playlist on Spotify for everyone to be blessed!