"God takes pleasure in arraying the lily in a garb more glorious than that of Solomon; but if there could be any thought of an understanding here, would it not be a sorry delusion of the lily’s, if when it looked upon its fine raiment it thought that it was on account of the raiment that the God loved it? Instead of standing dauntless in the field, sporting with the wind, carefree as the gust that blows, would it not under the influence of such a thought languish and droop, not daring to lift up its head? It was the God’s solicitude to prevent this, for the lily’s shoot is tender and easily broken."
(Søren Kierkegaard, Philosophical Fragments)
What a tragedy for us to delude ourselves like the lily and think that God loves us because of our loveliness when in reality we are lovely because God loves us.
Sadly though it is a delusion we find everywhere except the Gospel:
"Only in the gospel does love precede loveliness. Everywhere else loveliness precedes love." (Tullian Tchividjian)
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