PricelessSample

When I was growing up, I wasn’t that athletic but I believe that my aunt really wanted to have an extra excuse to cheer and scream at sports events on Wednesday and Friday nights. So in return, she signed me up to play baseball. I will never forget it, I was in the fifth grade. I was an all star hand catcher. It may not have been the most praised position but oh how proud I was every single game to get in place and fulfill my duties. I would show up in my neatly ironed stone gray and ash blue uniform ready to take on the world. I remember vividly one week at practice I was injured and wasn’t able to play at the scheduled game on that upcoming Friday, but my mother made me go for moral support to my other team mates. I sat on the sidelines for 9 innings watching the ebbs and flows of my peers tirelessly running bases, forcefully swinging bats, and championing through over three hours of what felt like blood, sweat, and tears. Finally in the ninth inning, with a home run play from my team, we won the game.

The win was electric. A wave of emotion that was visible through the smiles and tears of parents and friends shot through the crowd as the field erupted with laughter, chants, screams of joy and celebration. Bursts of bottles of gatorade and water filled the air as we leaped and shouted through blinding flashes from cameras documenting this moment. We had another victory under our belt. But this particular win was different. I realized that even though I had not participated in the game, I was still a recipient of the victory we had experienced. None of my efforts contributed to the win, but I still had the privilege to be included and experience the benefits and celebration of the victory.

What a beautiful reminder that the sacrifice Jesus paid for the world was purchased without any participation from us, but yet and still he has welcomed us into this beautiful family and celebration. None of our own works or merrit have afforded us a space, but through the finished work of Christ we have been invited to this great heavenly feast that he not only has prepared but purchased for us. Romans 5:8 encourages us on this wise : But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. This goes a step further by giving us the revelation that before we were even aware that there was a fight - a victory had already been won.

Maybe you have found yourself in a space of feeling unworthy to receive this free gift of unfathomable love from a perfect father. Surely there is something that you could do to prove that you deserve to be included or invited to be apart of this family the word of God speaks of. Maybe you have rejected the very thing that has been nudging and calling you simply because you are trying to formulate in your mind a reasoning that makes logical sense to be apart of a victory so great and so expensive without you footing any of the bill or the cost. But that is the beauty of this victory, our invitation to partake isn’t attributed to any works. It is a win not gained but given - a priceless victory.

Prayer

Father thank you for coming into this world and living a life full of challenge, humanity, pain, and suffering all for the sake of saving us. Thank you for your sacrifice that you willingly gave. A sacrifice that was given not based on our works, but a gift given simply because you loved us. A love without measure. A love that is never ending and all consuming. A love that covers faults, heals experiences, and changes our lives simply by us receiving you by faith. Thank you for fighting a fight and granting us a victory that we could never repay. Thank you for your invitation to share in this great celebration and to be apart of this family. This kingdom family. Thank you for adopting us and choosing to love us before we were even aware of the need we had in our lives for your sacrifice. Where we feel rejected, grant us healing. Where we feel abandoned, grant us grant us solace and the strength to find our way back to hope. Where we feel unworthy, may Your grace remind us that our worth is not defined by our mistakes, but by Your unfailing love and the redemption You have purchased through Christ. In Jesus name. Amen