A Welcomed Guest?

And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. Ephesians 4:30

Last Saturday evening my husband and I went to a birthday party for an adult cousin. It was to have been a surprise, but a few clues tipped off the birthday guy, and the surprise was ruined. Nevertheless, the party went on. 

As I entered the home, a little girl at the table squealed with delight, “Mrs. McCullough!” There sat a sweet little girl from my first grade class. She was so surprised and delighted to see me that I just had to smile. Even her little 3 year old sister was excited and came to give me a hug. They had just been innocently enjoying their snacks when (in their eyes) a special guest arrived. 

About 20 minutes later, I sat on the couch in the living room eating a snack of my own. Many of the little children were also congregated on the couch because Mrs. McCullough, Shelby’s teacher, was there! It was a special day! She wanted to do what I was doing. (NOTE: no bragging here, just telling you what a 6 year old saw!) All at once, Joe came busting around the corner, toy gun in hand ready to blast any girl that got in his way. He too, looked up and noticed me. His response was totally different. It went like this, “Whoa, Mrs. McCullough, what are you doing here?” His little face had quit smiling, and his tone was less than thrilled!

You see, I tell you this story because as I thought on it the last few days, I saw myself encountering Jesus at different moments in my life. Shelby was excited to see me. She thinks I’m fantastic, and she wants to be like me someday. I was a welcomed guest at the party. Joe on the other hand, came around the corner and wasn’t any too pleased to see me because he hadn’t invited me to this party, and I would now most likely put a damper on his ‘fun’. 

Have you invited Jesus into your heart? If so, have you ever asked him not to come to an event because you couldn’t have your fun? Jesus wants all of us and if our behavior is offensive, we grieve the Spirit’s work within us. So who do you want to be like with your savior... Shelby or Joe? I want to be like Shelby, so today, I must ask the Lord to show me necessary changes so he can live his life through me fully!

Lord, show me where I must change so that the work of your Spirit can be done. Change my life so that you are a welcome guest in all I say and do! Amen