Thoughts

Having kids makes me understand God on a whole different level. Ian had chapped lips the other day. He said to me "mommy, why did you make my lips hurt?" HUH?! How did I make your lips hurt? Trevor said "now you know how God feels." Indeed. How many times do we say to God "why did You make my loved one die, why did You make me get into that accident?" etc... Or better yet "why did You make me an alcoholic or why did You make me addicted to food?" I can just picture God saying HUH?!

So, then I offered Ian some lip balm and told him that it would make his lips feel better. He hates lip balm and refused. So I told him that his lips would continue to hurt. How many times do we go to God and blame Him for what happened and then after that refuse His offer of healing because we don't like the healing method that He knows will work. I know I do it constantly!

As a mother I desperately want Ian's lips to be healed. They're so cracked and red - it looks really painful. I begged Ian to put the lip stuff on, but he still refused. So, I resorted to bribery. I told him we could go to the store and he could pick out his very own lip balm and if he promised to use it I would buy him a toy. Yes - I was that desperate! I wasn't sure how this materialistic ploy related to our relationship with God so I asked Trevor if he saw a connection and he did immediately. So... instead of trying to write out his excellent thoughts I'll let him "guest blog" below. Heeeeeeere's Trevor!

Hmm . . . hopefully this isn't heresy! But here's the thought I had. First, keep in mind that our Lord used things like an unjust judge to illustrate God's responsiveness to prayer and a manipulating steward to show the importance of prioritizing eternal life. With that disclaimer,
I think there could be a useful association here as well. God does not act out of desperation, but He does recognize our human limitations. Just as a small child often cannot see the natural but long-term benefits of something immediately distasteful (my lips will stop hurting after a few days of putting this yucky stuff on them), we often struggle with this notion of communion with God. It seems too abstract, too distant--is it really worth the hard road of discipleship to get there?

So God uses things that we can accept more easily, to teach us the best direction to go. Jesus used physical healing to make the point that he had power to forgive sins. More generally, God intervenes in our lives with positive things like healing from illness or deliverance from trouble, or lets us go through hard times, according to what will further our salvation. He reveals to us the blessings of heaven and the sufferings of hell, not because he wants a relationship based on fear or self-interest but because these impulses can motivate us where we are now. These things help us move along with uncertain and stumbling steps, until we mature enough to want God for himself.