We were created for so much more!

So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God. 1 Corinthians 10:31

I was thinking a few nights ago about how easy it is to get wrapped up in ourselves. To get wrapped up in our feelings, our desires, our wants, our needs, etc.... I was so consumed with ME that I was kind of getting sick of ME.
Then I thought, if anything good could come out of this brief period of narcissistic behavior, it would be that focusing so much on me forced me to examine myself and come to the realization that if our lives were as superficial as I was making it, then we have no lasting value- our lives are of no importance in the end.
Thankfully, that is not the case at all. God wants our lives as christians to bring glory to Him and to lead others to an eternity with Him.
We were all created by a living, breathing almighty God. Our lives are held in the hands of a God, who knows us by name and knows the number of hairs on our head.
We were created for so much more than the superficial things that we often times desire.
God created us for His glory. He created us to worship Him; to love, to live, and make his name known in all the earth!
As I was examining some of the things that I allowed myself to be consumed with, this is the passage of scripture I was reminded of-

Psalm 115
 
 ¹ Not to us, LORD, not to us
   but to your name be the glory,
   because of your love and faithfulness.
 ² Why do the nations say,
   “Where is their God?”
³ Our God is in heaven;
   he does whatever pleases him.
⁴ But their idols are silver and gold,
   made by human hands.
⁵ They have mouths, but cannot speak,
   eyes, but cannot see.
⁶ They have ears, but cannot hear,
   noses, but cannot smell.
⁷ They have hands, but cannot feel,
   feet, but cannot walk,
   nor can they utter a sound with their throats.
⁸ Those who make them will be like them,
   and so will all who trust in them.
 ⁹ All you Israelites, trust in the LORD—
   he is their help and shield.
¹⁰ House of Aaron, trust in the LORD—
   he is their help and shield.
¹¹ You who fear him, trust in the LORD—
   he is their help and shield.
 ¹² The LORD remembers us and will bless us:
   He will bless his people Israel,
   he will bless the house of Aaron,
¹³ he will bless those who fear the LORD—
   small and great alike.
 ¹⁴ May the LORD cause you to flourish,
   both you and your children.
¹⁵ May you be blessed by the LORD,
   the Maker of heaven and earth.
 ¹⁶ The highest heavens belong to the LORD,
   but the earth he has given to mankind.
¹⁷ It is not the dead who praise the LORD,
   those who go down to the place of silence;
¹⁸ it is we who extol the LORD,
   both now and forevermore.
   Praise the LORD.

1 John 4:9-10- A picture for you, Ellie Kate.

This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. 1 John 4:9-10


When Ellie Kate was about two years old, I decided I wanted to do something special for her.
When I decided what I would do for Ellie Kate, the idea arrived early one morning. Like always, my creativity arrived at 2a.m. and was in full swing. 
I wanted to give Ellie Kate something she could always have and maybe even pass down to one of her children-something that would be meaningful and personal to her.
So I thought, "Salvation-God sending His only son to die for us because He loves us. That is the most meaningful thing in the world and it is also personal."
Then I thought, "A picture, I can paint a picture for her! 
I can paint a picture to illustrate the sacrifice God made through His son and how that sacrifice was made because He loves us, but we are all sinners, and without His forgiveness and blood being shed, we could not spend eternity with Him."
I want her to grasp the concept of how personal it is. I want her to know that Christ blood was shed for ALL of us, even her.
I jumped out of bed at 2a.m. that morning, gathered all of my paint, set my canvas on my easel and began to paint a hand- a large oversized hand. 
I wanted it to be simple. I wanted the picture to remain child-like in its appearance, but the hand needed to be big and strong, because it would represent the hand of Christ.
It didn't take long to paint it because of its simplicity.
I completed half of the picture and headed back to bed in hopes of catching a few more hours of sleep. Besides, I couldn't finish the rest without Ellie Kate.
When she woke up, I told Ellie Kate she was going to help mommy with a picture.
I set out a bowl of red paint and dipped the palm of her hand and fingers in it. I then placed her red, paint covered hand, in the palm of the large hand I painted earlier that morning.
The picture was complete.
A picture of a hand representing Christ's hand, with her handprint in the palm-a red handprint representing the blood shed for all sinners, including her, Ellie Kate Love.