GOD OUR FATHER

If one were to move away from the misconception that God is so distant in His status and truly understand, as Christ so often pointed out, that God is wanting a relationship with His people, then I venture to say that many would finally understand the heart and nature of our God.  Yet it is, though, that so many see God simply as the abuser, the precursor to a profane phrase, and the downer to all they consider grand.  To look at God as Father can be a hard accomplishment for many based on a relationship shared with their own earthly fathers.  For Jesus, though, His over 200 references point to not only the works of God, but the character of God.

            Addressing first the attributes of God, Jesus speaks of His being of Spirit in John 4:24.  As such, Jesus also notes when speaking to the woman at the well that He must be worshiped in spirit and in truth.  Jesus also points out that God is omnipotent and that He is not limited like man in His being able to accomplish the impossible (Mt 19:26).  God is all knowing, and Jesus again points out this fact when speaking in Matthew 10:29 of how the sparrow does not fall without God’s knowing.  God Himself speaks of His holiness in Leviticus 11:44-45, as He challenges the people of Israel to be holy as He is holy.  Yet His holiness was even confirmed by Jesus on many occasions.  And finally Jesus spoke of His Father’s love in John 3:16, where He notes that it is this love for the people that gave the world Jesus as a way of salvation.

            One key factor to remember when looking at the Doctrine of God the Father is simply that, He is a Father.  Not only is He Jesus’ Father, but He is our heavenly Father as well.  In looking first at God as Jesus’ Father, we read of Jesus in John 20:21 commissioning His disciples, sending them out as He Himself was sent out by His Father.  We read also in John’s writings of the honor the Father gave His Son (Jn 8:54), of the love the Father has for the Son (Jn 10:17), and of the glory the Father gives His Son (Jn 17:1-5).  Looking in John 8 again, verse 29, it is evident that the Father is satisfied with His Son, Jesus.  Because of the love the Father has for His Son, it is understood that the Father exalts His Son (Phil 2:9-11) and made Jesus the head of the Church (Eph 1:22-23).

            Lest we should think that is all, let us consider how God is the Father for all believers.  I think it important to first point out God’s love for us, as for His own Son.  For those who believe, 1 John 3:1 speaks of His love for us.  In John’s Gospel, Jesus shares that there is blessing that comes over the disciple, and that this blessing comes from God their Father.  Hebrews 12:5-10, while some may think it abusive, speaks of God’s correction for His children.  But read in context and true understanding, this passage speaks that a father will only discipline his children, and that in love.  To be disciplined by God is not abuse, but rather evidence of His great love for us. 

In all this, God is a great Father.  Where our earthly fathers may fail, God never will.  Where our earthly fathers may be unloving, God is full of love for His children.  Where our earthly father may deny, God blesses and raises up.  1 John 4:8 states, “God is love.”  What an awesome attribute for our Father to possess.

IT WILL STUNT YOUR GROWTH

Growing up as a child I heard many things spoken by adults that over time I have learned are not true.  Fact is, though, I have told them on my own children.  You know the myths I am talking about.  "Gray hair is a result of too much stress."  This is actually not true.  According to research done, stress can cause hair loss, but the graying is simply a sign of aging and can begin as early as 30 years old for some.  Does that mean that every bald person has stress, though?  No, but it makes one scratch his head in wonder.  Or how about "Cracking your knuckles causes arthritis", "If you keep crossing your eyes they'll get stuck", and "If you pick up a toad you'll get warts on your hands".  The fact is these are just not true.  (I apologize if you still believe them).

          My personal favorite, however, is that "Drinking coffee will stunt your growth".  I have been drinking coffee for thirty years now and I am happy at 5’7”, haha.  Joking aside, I remember as a child being at church and hearing both my dad and the older people in the church telling me this as I would work to sneak a cup of joe in hopes that no one was looking.  Many times it did not work to my advantage.  But there is no true research to support this.  Truth be told, at one time people believed that caffeine was the reason for osteoporosis, which receded bone mass and height.  And if that was true, then why did parents deny children coffee but offer them soda?  I'll let you 'brew' that one around for a minute.

          While coffee may not stunt our growth, there is one thing that comes to mind which has that power.  That thing would be sin.  Now obviously the growth I am referring to is not a physical height per se, but our spiritual growth.  In looking at the younger days of the prophet Samuel in I Samuel 2:26, we see that he was dedicated to the LORD's service and lived with Eli.  In time he began to grow in stature (his physical frame) as well as in favor (pleasure) with the LORD and men.  He was found with favor specifically before God because he put aside sin and chased after the righteous ways of God.  Was he perfect?  By no means.  But he saw the benefit in saying no to sin and yes to God's commands.

          Psalm 119:1 reads, "Blessed are those whose ways are blameless, who walk according to the law of the LORD."  In walking according to His law, we are growing and reaping the benefit of blessing.  Psalm 1:3 confirms this in saying about the one walking in God’s ways, "That person is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither - whatever they do prospers."  What does water do for a tree?  It helps in the growing process.  But on the flip side, walking in the ways of sin will only have us finding that our spiritual growth is stunted, for as Psalm 1 goes on to say, those who are not like the tree planted by the stream, those who are not growing, are like chaff which the wind blows.

          Now I am not here to condemn you in what I say, for it was just this morning on my way to work that God challenged me with this same thought.  I want to see the effects of growth in my life.  But in order for growth to happen I need to remove the obstacles that are stunting my growth.  I need to remove the sins as God is showing me.  And it isn't that I need to get rid of only a little sin in order to grow, but rather I need to get rid of all sin in order to grow.  As long as I leave an open door for sin, sin will continue to romance me from God.

          It is time we realize the perhaps hidden truth of this myth.  While coffee will not stunt our growth, physically or spiritually, sin most definitely will stunt our growth in the spiritual.  But I don't want to be stunted.  I am pretty sure you do not want to be either.  What must we do?  In the spiritual we must stop drinking our coffee of sin.  We must stop drinking in sin and suffering its effects, but instead allow ourselves to be like the tree planted by the stream - planted and growing firmly with our roots fully in God and His ways.