Sitting in the second pew on a Sunday morning brought new ponderings to the little girl of how to avoid another discipline session. A few weeks ago, she had been taken out the side aisle to the orange carpeted room to receive punishment for whatever stressed her mother out during church. The reason was never explained, and restoration between mother, daughter and God never occurred.
The chasm of misunderstanding grew in the little girl’s heart. She secretly started asking thin air in her quiet play time,
“There has to be something better, or someone more helpful for my life.?”
On this particular Sunday, her prayer was to finally be answered. Normally, listening to the sermon did not phase her. The talk seemed to be long and full of words and ideas she couldn’t fully comprehend anyway. Tuning out and working on a coloring page kept her mother from being disturbed again. The motto for life seemed to be “Be good or else!” Years later the girl would be introduced to the Apostle Paul’s wonderful words in Philippians 2:12
“Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence but much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.”
Today the little girl finally heard words like this, “God is full of genuine love and His love extends to you beyond anything you can imagine.”
How she hungered to hear the words “I Love You” in the correct and genuine context that only God could give. She went up to the alter and personally told God’s Son Jesus that she wanted to meet him and be His child from this day forward.
Many people have mixed up views on who God is as a Heavenly Father because of the distortions received as children.
God in Heaven has multifaceted characteristics, and we know that each person’s parents often only have a good understanding of a few of those pieces of His image. For the little girl, she had a good view of discipline, but she didn’t know that after the punishment, love was supposed to come in and help repair and restore her heart to Jesus. She had some wonderful opportunities to learn that in later life encounters. In the first seven years of life though, God’s compassionate side seemed very distant.
God hates sin. He wants each of us to repent from any of the missing puzzle pieces in our lives. Perhaps the girl did need the heavy lessons of discipline in her younger years. It possibly kept her from being pulled down when tempted by evil. Because of her strict background she was able to more thoughtfully flee from the lies that greatly hurt our world.
‘Train up a child in the way he should go and when he is old, he will not depart from it.” Proverbs 22:6
This Bible verse is often tossed around in church circles, but often we need to go back and look at Proverbs 22:1-5. There are some rich characteristics that God wants to trust people with who are created for the purpose of training children. You can finish the phrases as you look them up in the Bible. “A good name… Humble… Seeking the Lord… Guarding his soul…, seeing danger and taking refuge…”
These are just a few of the amazing attributes that should be growing in the people who God wants to use to be caregivers to children. Raising children is not easy and so parents need to grow up spiritually in every way God shows them. Allow your children to see more aspects of God’s character.
I have learned many things from the parents I have observed. Some are right on target with how God reveals His truth. However, some have such distorted views that I have actually prayed for the children to be able to get into more healthy environments. Their hearts need to heal, so that sinful cycles of past generations are not repeated. Yet cycles repeat sometimes and it’s devastating to watch when the pain is revealed all over again in the younger generations.
When I became a parent, God graciously changed me to be even more balanced in knowing how to help my children than with the tools my parents had. Truth in love and justice do work together. Change wasn’t easy and God had to remove a lot of unhelpful ideas, but He alone did it.
Many people say they don’t want to be like their parents. Yet how many really pray about how to be different? What are the characteristics that need to be more like your Heavenly Father and less like your earthly father? Are people truly willing to allow God to change them?
The thing that I often thank God for is how He helped me live out the truth before my children that we are to fear God, but never be fearful of him.
Our family often sang this chorus and here is the second part of it.
“He’s big enough to rule the mighty universe, yet small enough to live within my heart.” --Ray Price
I’m sure a more qualified theologian could explain this concept better, but for the needs of toddlers, it made complete sense. It teaches them that He makes the universe obey his commands. And we can also ask for His kindness to sit with us and dry our tears.
Parenting tips are tricky in our world, so many are doing things “their” way. However, I can hope and pray that more people will begin to raise children with Jesus constantly in their thoughts and actions. Surrendering to His will creates a peace in each individual heart that surpasses all understanding. Philippians 4:7
Living for Jesus is not easy. In fact, it is the hardest life you will live in this earthly world. Misunderstandings and sufferings are abundant, but the reward of having God restore our lives into more of His image is worth it. The promise of Heaven is real for those who decide to listen to the words of the sermon about genuine love. It’s important to get out of the church pew and meet the only one who can give eternal life.
*Opinions expressed in Letters to the Editor are not necessarily those of The Messenger.
