“What if I treated you like you treat others?” This is the question that God often presents to me. At first I use to attempt to plead my case to God (as if He doesn’t really know me) about all the “good” that I do. I told Him about how I’m a very pleasant person. I filled Him in on how I love to help people, and I couldn’t forget to tell Him how I’m always there with an encouraging word.

As the conversation went on, God reminded me that those were things I was suppose to do. He told me there was nothing special about any of that. There was no trophy or reward to be obtained for doing the basics.

Then God asked me, “Why are you having such a hard time forgiving such and such?” Why can’t you let it go?” And once again I started getting my “Johnny Cochran” on and I went to defend my actions. As if He needed it, I started reminding God of what such and such had done to me and how it made me feel. In the middle of my rant, God quietly whispered, “But what if I treated you like that?” Conviction instantly engulfed me!

He started to play back the film in my life. I saw the many times I’d hurt God. I was reminded of the times when I knew better and I chose not to do better. I began to hear conversations that I had with God where I made promise after promise but never fulfilled them. I got a whiff of all of the “Lord if you get me out this time, I promise I won’ts.”

And as I thought on all of those moments, I thought about how when I went to God and sincerely asked for His forgiveness, He freely offered it to me. Not only did He forgive me, but He forgot about it. He didn’t roll His eyes every time I came around. He didn’t sigh loudly every time I asked Him for something. He didn’t let negative thoughts toward and about me prance around in His head. He didn’t become standoffish. He didn’t start purposely avoiding me. His conversation with me didn’t become short and snappy. He didn’t stop talking to me altogether.

Instead, He opened His welcoming arms and loved me even more. So if God can do that for me, with all of my many flaws and mess ups, who am I not to offer the same love to His people? So take a moment and reflect on your own life. How would your life be if God treated you like you treat others?