Every Good and Perfect Gift

This has been kind of a big year for me.  A big, wonderful year--one that has been preceded by so many prayers.  One full of so many blessings. 

This time last summer this incredible man asked if I would be his wife. I cried tears of happiness and said that I would.

In February, this puppy was born. We adopted him.

We were in desperate need of a new car. We are now the proud owners of this one.

In May, I graduated from art school. Jake and I packed up that new car and drove to Orlando.

In June, I got a job at an art gallery. Jake got a promotion at Lowes. 

In 29 days now, wedding bells will ring. I will walk an aisle. We will make a promise. He will lift my veil.

That is a lot of good stuff. Every last one of those blessings was given to us, not because we deserved them or did something to merit them, but because our good and loving Father poured them on us in his love.

James 1:17 says “Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.”  Every good gift.  Every lovely note of music, every sip of good wine, every good night’s sleep, every wedding day- it’s all given to us by God, for our enjoyment and his glory. It’s given us by his mercy. And sometimes, in his mercy, it’s taken away. 

Here’s what’s most important for me to remember:  the gifts given are not better than the giver himself. They are a signs of his goodness, his creativity, his love—but things made by his hand are a poor substitute for God himself.  I am about to marry the man I love, I have a great job, I get to make paintings, and I enjoy the company of dear friends and family. These are some of the great joys of my life. But they pale in comparison to my God. And if I had all of those things, but didn’t have him, I would have nothing. Because Jesus is better than anything he has made. 

In this truth the great freedom of the Christian faith is found. It’s the freedom that Paul rejoiced about from prison: that the circumstances of his life did not dictate his joy, because Christ could not be taken from him, and Christ was enough. Whether he was in chains and naked and starving, or if he was fed and healthy and wealthy, he had his freedom and his prize. It could not be taken from him. 

 It’s scary to think of these precious gifts being taken away. I’m not saying I would not be crushed, heartbroken and grief-stricken if tragedy struck. Of course I would.  But here’s the thing- tragedy will strike. In this life, we will have troubles. Life is so fragile. Our entire world can be destroyed with a phone call. What I’m saying is that when tragedy comes, there is something unshakable: Jesus is better than the best this world has given me. And if I have Jesus, I have the one thing that is capable of truly satisfying me. In the highest joy and in the deepest possible pain, he is enough. He is good. He is merciful because he gives himself to me. 

This is an incredibly sweet moment in my life. There have been hard times before, and hard times lie ahead. But here is the freedom I have in Christ: my happiness is not tied to my circumstance. If I have everything, or if I have nothing, I have enough, because I have Jesus.  

Oh God, help me live up to those words. Teach these truths to me a new,comfort me with them.