Influenced by God's love
I have been writing only about succulents all these years and when I saw this beautiful marigold plant in between the pots, I thought they deserved a special mention. As seen in the picture of the wilted plant below, the pot had marigold plants that bloomed and then the plants died. The seeds that fell in between the tiles, grew into a beautiful new plant that produced two different coloured flowers on the same plant like unidentical twins. How wonderful is that?
It reminded me that in our journey through life, we are always shaped and transformed by our circumstances and our surroundings. We are constantly influenced by those that we spend most of our time with, an influence that can either build us up or break us down mentally, emotionally and physically if we allow it. Influence has the ability to shape our thoughts, feelings, decisions and our behaviour. In this digital age ,there is no shortage of influencers that can have a direct or indirect impact on our lives. This makes it even more challenging to seperate good from bad, truth from lies and healthy living from unhealthy patterns. God never intended for us to be alike, we are created to be unique, each with a specific plan and purpose on this earth. We are not called to love only those that are perfect, we know that we are all imperfect in many ways.
God's word and His presence should be the guiding influence that can point us in the right direction. Easter reminds us the greatest truth, of God's unfailing love. Jesus gave up His place in heaven and willingly came down to earth sacrificing His life to save us all. Jesus carrying our sins to the cross to save us, is the greatest gift of love. Only through God we can truly love. When we personally experience the unending love, forgiveness and grace of Christ, it becomes easier for us also, to fill our hearts and lives with love, forgiveness, hope, faith and peace.
For me, it has become an intentional decision and a daily commitment to keep Christ at the centre of my life, allowing His influence to shape my thoughts, my actions and the way I see others. How are you reflecting the love of God and making an influence on those around you this Holy Week?
