Those Who Struggle With a Gracious Father-God

Hello All,

I have noticed something:  most Christians I encounter do not take the time to get to know God as a loving, gracious Father.  Sometimes they are great at acts of service toward others; sometimes not at all.  Some seem to have more vested interest in doctrinal truths; others have very little idea of what the Bible says is true of the believer.  Most are caught up in an addiction of some sort; others mask their addictions through more acceptable vices.  Many claiming to be Christian admit no sense of wrong when they say "Yes," when they really mean "No," or when they make promises they will not keep.  And I would also say that plenty of Christians live far more independently of others than is healthy.

But why the disparity?  Why the contradiction?  It is partly because we have all been hurt and we have all made a vow after having been hurt:  I will never fully give myself to trust another person.  We wear a mask, and as a result, we can never be truly and authentically loved.  While it may be true that sometimes those from whom we are seeking love may indeed not actually love us, this is not so with our Heavenly Father.  The vow and action on our part isolates us from His love.  As Henri Nouwen wrote, "My refusal to accept that I am already loved destroys trust and corrodes my heart."

I see various results of that view of God's Father-Love:  we keep distance between us and others; what relationships we do have, we are willing to let go of easily; we are unwilling to truly reach out to those in need and we even withhold our affection; our friendships require little to no investment of ourselves; we struggle with sin and temptation as though it is normal; we struggle with sin and temptation as though there is no reprieve; we struggle with sin and temptation as though we are powerless to choose otherwise; we give in to sin and temptation, because we have no clue about the good things our Father has for us.

In my next post, I will help you to understand that there is a different way to look at the idea that Christianity is not meant to be a "religion," but rather a "relationship."  When we hear that, we have always thought of our relationship with the Father, but in reality, to properly understand that Divine desire, we need to take a step back.

Grace=Peace,

Jeremy