The picture on the left is of my son on my knees, Olu-funsho (I love to call him Funshito). Whenever I return from work, and I'm welcomed by his toothless smile, my heart leaps for joy and every hard time I've had in the day just evaporates. Just today I listened to something a respected worship leader said. He said, and let me try and paraphrase, Help us Lord not to cringe away when You raise Your hand thinking You want to hit us but help us see that You want to put Your arms around us. When I heard this, my heart leaped in me because I have been meditating on the fatherhood of God.We are so quick to assume God is the strict disciplinarian who flares into a rage every time we do something bad. We think He's like our earthly fathers that exude fear. I don't know about you but when I was growing up I remember that anytime my dad returned from work, we all ran for cover. We only welcomed him and then we all went into hiding. Interestingly we all think our Heavenly Father is like that.
Before you jump to the other end of the ditch, let me first state that God's love does not give room to loose living and God will always punish sin but God is not quick to punish. He does not like to clobber His own. He doesn't delight in our suffering. Why do you think the "prodigal" son was not even chastised by his father? Was it because he had done all things well? Definitely not!
We must break away from the African mentality that sees fathers as fire-breathing dragons that would eat us up at the slightest appearance and enter the culture of God's kingdom that encourages cordial relationship between God, our Father and we his sons. Our experiences with our earthly fathers have shaped our thinking and made us so afraid to approach our Father when we miss it. That shouldn't be. Where else should we go when we miss it and make a mess of things? Into the arms of our dear loving Father, who will chastise us BUT in love.
'nuff said!
1 comments:
I like the message and it is full of knowledge.
Being a father (for the 1st time) could help us understand more of our Heavenly Father's love toward us. Every morning I leave home for work, my wife comes to the door to wave me off, but lately my curious, naughty but blessed daughter seems to want to know what goes on after the threshold, so when I leave the flat, I leave the door open and walk a bit from the door. She crawls out, over the doorstep and looks on to me from a distance, as if she is asking, 'where is this guy going?' 'why is he so far away?'. My wife tends to join her at that time and they both wave me off. I cannot really know for now what is in my daugghter's mind but I know what I feel. Even though I know I would see them when I arrive back home in about 8-10 hours time I feel the urge not to ant to leave them, the fellowship is there, I guess if we evil people on the world know how to love our family this way, the way the Lord God loves us could only be better, at least if He could send His only Son to die for us to become His sons and daughters. I would not give up my family for anything, even if they reject me I would not give them up with out the fight of my life, I do not hink I must wonder how God feels about us, even at the times we reject Him, I guess it can only be better.
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