For much of my life I thought of God as a policeman. He was constantly on the alert watching to see if I did anything wrong. If I did he was even quicker to punish me. He had a list of rules for me to obey. Many of what I was told were against his rules were things that were quite appealing. (It was only later that I discovered that many of what I was taught were His rules were simply our churches list.) To me God was a rule maker and enforcer. God was someone to fear, to watch out for to avoid. I read the Bible because I was supposed to and when I filled out my envelope at Sunday School I could mark the box to indicate that I had read my Bible every day and someone would praise me indicating I had made God happy. Surely that would help get God off my back and offset some of the “bad things” I had done. I spent a lot of energy trying to stay on God’s good side and get his approval.
About the only time I wanted God to notice me was when I wanted something. Then he was someone that I would try to talk into giving me what I wanted. Often that meant promising Him I would do better in the future if he just gave me what I wanted now.
The idea that Jesus told us to pray, “Our Father” didn’t mean much. I loved my Dad and He loved me but I still spent a lot of energy hiding things I had done/was doing from him because I knew he would not approve and in some cases would punish me.
When I had children and then grandchildren my thinking about God as “Our Father” began to change. I discovered that I loved those children—two boys– and grandchildren when they were good and when they were bad. I had some rules but those rules were not arbitrary. They were mainly to keep them from being hurt, hurting themselves or hurting someone else. As I reflect now I don’t think that there is anything they could do that would stop me from loving them. I love them when they are good and when they are bad. I love them when they are successful and when they fail. If they go directly against the things I tried to teach them, I still love them. Even if they ignore me, do not communicate with me or don’t return my calls I still love them. Why? They are my children and grandchildren. I don’t love them because of what they do or don’t do. I love them because of a relationship, a love relationship.
John 1:12 – 13 NLT But to all who believed Him and accepted Him, He gave the right to become children of God. They are reborn—not with a physical birth resulting from human passion or plan, but a birth that comes from God.
John 3:16 reminds us “For God so loved the world”. God loves the world. God loves you. God loves me. If we are in a love relationship with God as Father what is Gods attitude toward us?
God loves me. God loves you. He wants us to succeed. He is far more concerned with our success than he is our failures. Whether we fail or succeed, He loves us.
When a baby is learning to walk the parent stands by hoping with their whole being that the baby succeeds. That is love. When the baby lifts its foot the parent is excited and claps. That is love. When the baby falls, the parent is not mad at the baby for failing but lovingly picks up the child. Gives it a hug. Places it on its feet and encourages it to try again. That is love. The child is learning to walk through life. Learning involves risk and failures. Failures need encouragement not condemnation, not punishment. A child’s falls ultimately lead to success–walking then running. Wouldn’t it be sad to see a child never walk. Wouldn’t it be sad to see a parent punish a child for failing (falling). But that is the way we think a God of love acts toward us. Even though we imperfect humans with imperfect love would never act that way.
For many of us life is like that. A lot of failures and finally we sometimes get it right. At 76 there are many things I am still trying to get right. The New Testament tells us, “God is love”. I am humbled by that.
When I finally began to understand that God really loved me in spite of me not because of me it made a big difference in my life. I could relax in that love relationship. I did not always have to worry if I had offended God in some way. I was not always worried about punishment.
Relax……. God loves you. What will make Him stop loving you?
Romans 8:38 – 39 NLT “I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love. No power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord. “
When that sinks in. The relationship between you and the Father begins to develop and deepen. You no longer worry about rules. You don’t worry about doing enough to be accepted. You don’t worry about praying enough or going to church enough or being religious enough to be accepted. You are loved. He won’t love you more. He can’t love you less. Because He is LOVE.