Today my cousin, Donna, and I will leave for Portland Oregon to spend ten days with my daughter, Sarah. We will also go to Vancouver, British Columbia while we are there. I am so excited to go to Vancouver, to spend time with my travel buddy and cousin but mostly to see Sarah. As I have anticipated this trip I have thought a lot about how much God loves me as I am His child. I think about how I did not love Him back like I should for so long. I believed in Him but I did not LOVE Him and adore Him.
In the past few years I have seen how scripture reminds me of parenting. I would tell my girls not to do something and they would do it over and over. In God's eyes don't I do the same thing? I would tell my girls they need to spend more time with God and I am sure God was shaking His head because I was not spending enough time with Him. I still tell them not to go to God only when they need something. How many times has God thought that about me? And the list goes on.
I guess having a child helps me see a tiny glimpse of how much God loves us. We are the child! In a parent/child relationship you love that child more they can ever imagine. You would do anything for them as long as it was for their good. They rebel and go through the growing pains before realizing that you do have some sense. Can we imagine buying them the best birthday gift and give it to them and they do not accept it?
In a God/child (me) relationship God loves me more than I can ever imagine. He would do anything for me as long as it was for my good. By "for my good" I mean in His will. He even gave His only Son for me! Even so I have rebelled and gone through growing pains before finally turning to Him! And how many times was I presented with the best gift of my life and I did not accept it or acknowledge it?
A parent/child relationship is different from a friendship or a romantic relationship. It is unique. In a healthy relationship a parent loves the child unconditionally. In a loving home the child knows who they are. A child's identity is tied to his parents. There are things friends and spouses could do to end a relationship.
When we have received the free gift of salvation we become aware of who and whose we are and who we are to become. Our identity is tied to our Heavenly Father. In John 3: 1-21, Jesus explains to Nicodemus that we must be born again. This means we will have a conversion from a sinner to a follower of Christ.
As I get so excited to see Sarah I will try to keep remembering how important I am to God. He loves me even more than I love my children! God's love for us surpasses human parent/child love! Just as I am excited to spend time with Sarah, God is excited to spend time with me.
Apostle John says to a fellow Christian, Gaius, in 3 John 1: 4, "I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth." I also have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth. And I am sure God says, "I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth."
Who and whose are you?
I too am a child of God, Jill :) Have a wonderful time with Donna and Sarah and I will be spending lots of time with Sylvia here, safe travels!