Cats are real charmers, and Baxter is no exception. When he wants something, he really works at buttering me up. For instance, feeding time is grooming time, and I am the object of his attention and affection. He rubs up against my pant leg with a long, drooling meow, and then he sits with longing eyes, begging for relief from his feigned starvation. Of course, once he gets what he wants, he forgets about me and concentrates on the real object of his charm, his stomach. I am left with pant legs covered with cat hair.
We can do the same to each other, but in more subtle and devious ways. We can use each other to get what we want. Maybe it's a new job or a promotion; maybe it's a personal favor; maybe it's our desire to be among the popular and influential. We can use our relationships to flatter each other's ego. Then we give another person what he or she wants whether it is right or not, or we tell others what they want to hear whether or not it is the truth. Whatever it takes is what we offer to get what we want from them. We play an unspoken game with each other that appears as one thing on the surface but is another underneath. What appears to be esteem, respect and appreciation is really a disguise for self-centeredness and selfish interests. The test for this kind of deception happens when either party in the relationship changes positions or finds another person who might serve their desires better. The relationship dissolves, and what was thought to be genuine affection is revealed as simply convenient and manufactured human dynamics.
God is the test for genuine love and honest closeness in our human connections. God's love has no agenda but the good of the other. God grows closer to us by dealing with whatever we dish up in our lives. Whether we are faithful or sinful, whether we succeed or fail, win or lose, God remains constant in His intentions with us and for us. He seeks the best for us. He wants us to thrive and grow. He lifts us in His love to see ourselves differently, to see that we are valuable and esteemed for who we are as God's children. We are precious in His sight no matter our condition. We don't have to gain or lose a thing to merit God's love. God made the connection from the first moment of our existence, and while we may ignore or disavowal the relationship from our side for what we think is a better, more self-serving agenda, God stays where He has always been, loving us for the person He created us to be, without condition or reservation. God's charm comes from this unwavering constancy to seek our best and transform our worst by His healing and forgiveness.
Too bad we don't charm each other this way, instead of all the games we play to gain each other's favor. We love each other but often with so many strings attached that we act like puppeteers, trying to make each other do and say what we want for our advantage. Our charm is often deceptive. God's charm is loving, true and good. Trust in what God can do for you.
