5 Areas God Expresses His Love as Father - this list is by no means an exhaustive one.
1. God makes Himself available to us.
- He desires quality time with us. I try to spend it with my kids. Right now, that looks like playing Candyland and watching a Disney movie. Or playing ball with my boys and wrestling around with them. It's holding and cuddling with my 6 month old. Later it will be about listening to their struggles, sharing in their passions, and celebrating their victories. The point is, as their dad, I give them my time. I invest it in their lives. How much more does God want to do this with us? And His time is unlimited. He's never too busy! He's always available.
2. God teaches us.
- From His Word. Through prayer and the Holy Spirit. My kids certainly did not come into this world knowing how to talk, put on clothes, clean up after themselves, say please and thank you, or any myriad of other things they have learned (look out, because they are watching). My wife and I have have trained them, so to speak. They learn by instruction, but they learn even more by emulation. This goes hand in hand with quality time and also with discipline. I generally know what is best for my kids (God help me!) and I want to teach them to live that way. Don't you think God wants to teach us His ways? And He is infallible. He can't mess up in His "parenting."
3. God disciplines us.
- Ouch! The hard part. But it is part of how He helps us to grow and steers us back into a place where we can receive his instruction. I hate disciplining my kids. I'm one of those awful parents that still spanks their children (guess what, the human race has survived parents who spank). Sometimes I remove them from the situation. Sometimes I take something that I don't want them to have. Whatever the case may be, I always make an effort to explain why I did what I did. Sometimes I think they are too young to understand, but I think it's important for me to try. And I do make sure they always know I LOVE them. The positive reinforcement outshines any negative feelings they may have toward me for crashing their party. God is perfect in His discipline. He knows just what we need to get back on track. He never corrects out of anger, only love. We may kick and scream and hate it, but it is necessary.
4. God blesses us.
- He gives good gifts to His children. He knows just what we need and when our desires line up with His, He gives and gives and gives! Spiritual gifts, financial blessings (not necessarily the winning lottery numbers - I'm talking about needs more than anything, but God gives as He pleases), restored relationships, great friends, and more! My boys love Thomas the Tank Engine. I love finding trains they don't have and watching their eyes light up when they get them. It gives me joy (even though it really hurts when you step on one). So if I love to make my children happy, how much more does God want to bless us?! It's not about God playing Santa Claus, as if we write a list of stuff we want. But when we are in line with His will, receiving his discipline and instruction, when we spend that time with Him, it gives Him joy to bless us!
5. God loves us unconditionally.
- I said unconditionally. No matter what we do. No matter how much time we spend with Him. No matter how much we love Him. I love my kids. There's nothing my kids could do to change that. I know that in my soul. And I certainly try to make them understand that truth. Their dad will always be their dad, always love them, and always accept them where they are at. They can break my heart a thousand times (hopefully it's only once or twice) and I will still love them. But it goes beyond that. It's not just in spite of what they do wrong. It's also completely independent from what they do right. I certainly celebrate when they make right decisions, but my "love level" doesn't change. This is best illustrated with my 6 month old. She does next to nothing. I get smiles, and she rolls over, but really she's obviously not at a point when right and wrong mean anything at all. There is no action on her part either way. I love her simply because she is mine! And that is the crux of the matter. God loves you and me because He made us. We are His creation, His children, created in His image. God loves us because of who He is, our Father, not because of who we are or choose to be.
I know I've learned a lot about God's love for me through the way I love my kids. I also know it comes nowhere near how much God loves me. He's 100% available at all times, He's infinitely wiser, He' perfect in His patience and discipline, He gives from the abundance of His resources (um...EVERYTHING), and His love never ever ends.
Lord help ME to be a better dad and model Your relationship with us better to my children. I want them to see these principles in my life so they can get a better view of You.
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