A “Loving God”

Greetings friends.

The way some folks see the Lord has been on my mind for some time lately.

I think all of us at one time or another goes through a stage or phase where we question how or why God allows things to take place from our human perspective.

Why is a child abused undeserervedly?

Why is a young child taken from parents early through a horrible illness?

Why is a woman raped and beaten to near death?

Why won’t our finances ever seem to improve?

Why did my spouse leave?

Why is there such evil in the world brought by tyrants who kill and murder so many innocent people?

I know of more than a few people who are angry with or even have strong hatred toward God (if they admit he exists) because circumstances in life don’t make sense to them or go the way they believe would be/been best (in their view).

Even worse, some I know refuse to believe there is a God because they can’t believe a “loving god” would ever allow so many awful things.

I’m going to call a spade a spade here.

This is nothing more than 4 year old thinking. It’s operating at the intellectual capacity of a small child.

I have 3 children.

All of who I love enough to lay down my own life should it be required.

In other words, if it were between them and me in a life or death, I would choose me for their benefit.

My daughter, Elise, of the three, is, in my view, the most strong willed. She’s often been “anti” for the sake of being “anti”.

This is a trait which was demonstrated from the youngest of ages.

“Elise, sing me the Twinkle, Twinkle song”.

“No, I don’t want to.”

“Come on, please?”

“No, I don’t want to”.

“Why not?”

“It’s not dark yet”.

“Well…okay…maybe some other time”.

“Okay…I’ll sing it”.

This was and has been life with her.

I look back fondly of how cute and funny she was. It was and remains surreal her intellectual capacity as a 3 year old now adult for example. Anyone who knows or has known her would agree.

With that came plenty of testing as new parents.

As we found our way, we read Dare to Discipline and The Strong Willed Child and applied the logic.

I assure you when we figured out we had to be in charge and she should not be allowed to dominate the home, there were plenty of situations wherein that child was convinced we (I) hated her.

I was mean.

I was cruel.

I was…insert negative adjective.

However, she’s not unique (well, I mean, she is, most certainly…but you know what I mean)

Haven’t most of us done that with our own parents as children?

“I hate you”. When we don’t get what we want from them.

“How can you be so mean?” When we can’t have our way.

We hurumph around, mumbling under our breath “I wish he were dead…” when grounded to our room for our stupid choices and actions.

And this same childish way of thinking is what guides many adults today. This, in my view, is why they hate or deny the Living God.

He won’t give us what we want.

He didn’t let our spouse live.

He won’t rescue our child from their destructive ways no matter how much we pray.

The “Why me…” takes over and we then think like a 4 year old, often murmuring the same thoughts and statements as a child who isn’t getting their way.

Here’s the reality.

Just like a parent child relationship, God knows more than we do.

God knows what’s best for us.

God is in complete control.

God isn’t concerned that we “feel safe” at all times like many of the modern day parents of young children I see today.

Often, as children we think our parent is being mean for not giving in to our selfish desires and expectations. As children we believe we are god and should get everything our heart desires. (I know parents who raise their children this way…and those kids are MONSTERS),

Similar to when we as parents disallow some of our child’s requests or force them to do something they’d rather avoid, God does the same with us.

Often, instead of trusting that he knows best, we think we do and are pissed that we can’t win with him and get our way.

As I love my own children and always have, God loves me (and you) even more!

You may, like we all have as children, think you are “suffering” when in truth, like with our parents and their instruction and discipline, you are receiving (in most cases) what’s best for you.

We just don’t have the intellectual capacity as adults to fully grasp this. We never will.

Let me close with this.

To those of you intent on denying God based on suffering.

Let me quote Jesus here.

He uttered this in prayer the night before his crucifixtion.

"My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will" Matthew 26:39

Let me put this into perspective for those of us who think we are really suffering, have really suffered, or witness others suffer.

This man was innocent of any crime.

He was and is the definition of love.

The love this man and his father have for us surpasses any parent/child bond in the history of man kind.

He lived the life of peace and luxury in the eternal dominion with his Father sharing a bond none can understand.

Yet, he came here to earth to attempt to bring peace to mankind, nothign more.

Because he was God, unlike you and me, he KNEW what he was facing and every detail of what he would go through shortly after uttering that prayer for deliverance.

Yet, God did NOT let that cup pass.

Instead, this innocent, kind, loving man was brutally beaten, humiliated, and killed.

He suffered emotional pain few of us (likely none of us) could ever understand when his Father, who could have rescued him, refused to do so and let him not only be beaten beyond recognition, but die on that cross.

He suffered greater pain and agony physically during the process than I dare say any in my personal sphere of friends

His request was denied.

Yet, I see no mention in any of the bible where he, like so many of us, threw some kind of trantrum because he didn’t get his way.

Instead, he demonstrated what it means to fully trust the creator of the Universe and all things.

In so doing, he defeated death and because he did, by believing in him as the resurrected Christ, we have eterntiy to spend together as a family of believers.

God may not be giving you what you want today. I know a number of situations in my own life are not as I would have them.

However, if I believe what I write and say, I am left with only one choice.

Believe and trust that He knows better than I do how things need to be and in so doing, do my best to enjoy the day as it comes.

God loves me. He loves you.

He has the best for us in mind, whether we choose to see/believe it or not.

As I reflect on Easter, these are my thoughts.

-rob out