"Even though those unworthy worms didn't deserve it..."

So reads the first part of John 3:16, as apparently translated in some Bibles.

But my Bible actually says something like, "For God SO LOVED THE WORLD that He gave His only begotten Son..."

Why did God give? Why was the price paid? He gave and He paid the price because He so loved the world! The gift of eternal life that we've received from God truly did cost Him something, but the price was joyfully paid (see Heb 12:2). And now that the price has been paid, walk in the beauty of it and enjoy it!

Some people walk around as if God's grace, though given freely, is "cheap" unless we grovel before Him, always reminding Him and each other how "unworthy" we are to receive it. Of course, it's not that we should not be thankful for grace! In fact, the best way that we can show that we are truly thankful for the gift is to walk freely in it!

My son is three years away from getting his driving permit. (Lord have mercy!) ;) Let's just say that when he's able to drive, we have the means to buy him a car. He's done nothing to deserve it. We paid the price for it, entirely. He gets in the car, drives five miles and then stops and calls us and says, "Mom and Dad, I'm really not worthy of this gift you've given me. Thank you so much!" Great, he appreciates the gift! But then during the next five miles, he keeps on thinking about how unworthy he is, and he stops again and calls us to tell us again how unworthy he is, and how thankful he is for the car. This then keeps up for the rest of the time that he owns the car!

Am I being a bit over the top with this example? Maybe. :) But it's to point out that that's how some people see the gift of grace. They live day in and day out as if they need to keep reminding themselves of their unworthiness in order to truly appreciate the gift. But just as we wouldn't give our son a car with the hopes that he would keep on understanding and groveling before us about how he didn't deserve it, but rather we would give it to him so that he would simply enjoy it, God hasn't given us the gift of His life so that we would continue to feel unworthy. Even though we truly didn't deserve it, He didn't pay the price so that we would remain stuck in a mentality of unworthiness before Him, but rather so that we'd have a brand new life in which we see how much He truly LOVES us and how He has crowned us with glory and honor, and how He VALUES us!

People don't give gifts hoping that the receivers of the gifts will stay with the mindset that they didn't deserve the gifts. True giving is given joyfully and out of a true willingness to give! God gave the ultimate gift as the ultimate giver! To walk as a unworthy worm before Him is to not appreciate and understand the gift! In fact, it takes away from what the gift has truly provided us with! To appreciate the gift of grace is to walk in its fullness, which means understanding that we are PRECIOUS and VALUABLE to God, not unworthy worms.