65 The Relevance of God’s Will: Accountability through Right Behavior

Remember! When I refer to person in the Godhead in any blog, I am referring either to singular person (one-of-three) or to the collective person (three-in-one) of the Triune.

Standing on this new ground of understanding about Santa, I would like to also take note of how Santa, the legend based on St. Nicholas ( http://www.stnicholascenter.org/Brix?pageID=38), makes a list and checks it twice to find out who is naughty or nice.

I consider this an important point.

Because God gives gifts with conditions, too.

Just as the Father extends forgiveness, help, and mercy with conditions that promote pure goodness, Santa gives gifts with conditions, conditions which also promote goodness. I am so relieved that Santa, one of our most famous current-day legends, is still so relevant to truth!

The truth is that the Godhead’s conditions consist of certain right practices or behaviors, certain types of interaction with and appreciation of the Great Gift Giver. I think that they are really sweet and doable conditions too. Here are some of them from scripture.

For one: God takes the initiative. I respond.

Okay. And that means?

That means that in the case of His benefits (His gifts) that God wants me to think about and remember His benefits to me (and to you).

He wants me to give thanks to Him personally (verbal appreciation for those benefits).

He wants me to demonstrate appreciation and gratitude to the Godhead.

Only makes sense, doesn’t it? At least if one stops to think about it.

It registered with me only yesterday that the longer I live, the more numb I become to things I don’t think about or try to remember, no matter how good they are.

So, give me a moment and let’s think more deeply about some things together:

In scripture, God calls humankind to practice certain right attitudes and behaviors.

So, what does that look like, you might ask? Well, to start with, He wants us to open the moments of experience of any benefit from Him to Him. He wants us to share that moment of experience and appreciation with Him. In any relationship this is a primary enjoyment—sharing moments of appreciation of each other.

Also, He wants us to exclaim over and praise Him for being a God of benefits. He wants us to carry both a building and lifelong afterglow (many call it the ‘shine’) of appreciation for all He has, is, and will do for and through us. He wants us to know Him as our God of great benefits and rewards. He wants us to see Him and recognize Him as open-handed and generous in all things.

Then, He wants us to acknowledge that He is always right, whether we like it or not.

And finally, He wants us to refuse (and call it only good sense) to ever suppose Him wrong. He wants us to resist any impulse to criticize Him. To surrender any rebellious thoughts or behaviors. To look trustingly to Him for all things, TRUSTING that ONLY, ONLY good things, things of benefit to me or you, ever come from Him.

In short, God wants us to daily intertwine our life with His, always believing in Him and His Goodness and Generosity, always depending on Him.

People everywhere embrace Santa in this way.

All the more reason even greater affection is due our Great Father, His Son and Holy Spirit.

Don’t you think?

To be continued . . . next week—The week of Christmas Day, joyful tour companion! Look for a blog on the 22^nd and the 24^th , one with a Jesse Tree drawing, a gift from Kathleen and by Kathleen. Until then, adieu!