Better Dads Better Kids

A devotional I wrote for my church, St. Pauls Lutheran Church in Decatur IL.

Be imitators of God, therefore, as dearly loved children and live a life of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.    Ephesians 5:1

What makes God smile?

Have you seen the movie Evan Almighty?  It’s a modern day story of Noah in which Evan, a newly elected Congressman, prays that he wants to change the world.  God answers his prayer, but not in the way Evan expects: he is instructed to build an ark.  Of course, people laugh at him – until the dam breaks and floods out the valley they live in.  Everyone is saved because Evan listened to God and, in the process, defeated evil Congressman Chuck Long (a character who appears to have captured all the earthly rewards).  

Morgan Freeman does a great job playing God, and the movie is a good example of how I believe our relationship with God goes.  We ask for things, and God grants many of those requests, but not always in the way we expect.  The happy ending of the movie has God telling Evan the way to change the world is by doing one “Act of Random Kindness” (ARK).    

Does your life make God smile?  Genesis 6:8 says, “Noah found favor with God.”  Watch the movie; it might give you some ideas on how to be like Noah.