Yesterday I wrote about how I made the mistake of using a disciplinary system that was inappropriate for my kids and how learning to love my kids first, before expecting any kind of good behavior, really made a positive difference in our family life. Then I explained how God also loves us no matter what.
There's always more to a story than first meets the eye, isn't there? Every fight takes two. Every relationship takes commitment from both partners. Yesterday I wrote my blog on my phone while waiting for one of my sons at an appointment. As I drove home, I decided that I needed to write a part two, the rest of the story.
Once our son understood that we were going to love him regardless of how he behaved, he could have reasoned that if we truly loved him, he could behave pretty much any way he wanted. He had three choices: continue with the behavior he knew, allow that behavior to escalate, or try to do what Mom and Dad wanted him to do. I am relieved to inform you that he usually chooses the third option. (Does that "usually" bother you? Well, he is a young boy and quite human.)
We have that same choice with God. Once we are absolutely overwhelmed by the idea that we have a God who loves us when we are at our lowest, when we've screwed up again, and even when we feel like second-rate human beings, it's not over. To be in a relationship with God, it takes two. His grace washes over us, and next we respond. We can say no, we're not good enough for that relationship or simply deny God a place in our lives. We can say yes but insist that we can continue to do what want, either maintaining or escalating that bad behavior that makes us feel worthless to begin with, or we can man up and do what God wants us to do.
According to Kyle Idleman in Not a Fan, which is one of my favorite contemporary Christian books, "When we learn to truly follow Jesus, we find that obedience to God comes from the inside out. Submission to what God wants for our lives flows naturally out of that relationship."
Right now I'm reading through Leviticus. I can't tell you that this is one of my favorite books of the Bible, but it sure gives me a lot to think about—so much that yesterday I ordered a commentary specifically for this book. Leviticus is where many of the Old Testament rules are listed. This is where we find out what God deems clean and unclean and how the Israelites were to keep themselves away from the temple when they were unclean. Here the various types of offerings and tithes are described, and here the temple itself and the vestments of the priests are described in. every. last. detail. If you think God doesn't care about the specifics, spend the day reading Leviticus, and you'll change your mind. But I digress.
I think we sometimes get so googly eyed about God's love that we forget that we have to formulate our response, that we have a choice to make. Just because God loves us no matter what doesn't mean that we continue to act in a way that is not glorifying to Him. After all, He is a God who cares about the specifics.
And that's hard because we desire what we desire. If you're like me, I get too easily caught up in what the world thinks is right and not what the Bible clearly says.
What would it say about your relationship with your children if they know you loved them so much that they could go out steal a car, party all night long, or skip school? Of course you would still love your children, but would that reflect the kind of love and respect they had for you? Further, if we remember that God loves us and see that as an excuse to behave how we want, what does that say about how much we respect our God?
In Isaiah 43: 7 we are reminded that we are created not for ourselves, we are created for God: "everyone who is called by my name, whom I created for my glory, whom I formed and made." (In fact, go back and read all of Isaiah 43. It's a great reminder of His faithfulness.)
So today, though I don't have a sweet story for you about one of my kids, let's stop and think for a moment what kind of children we want to be. Of course we will continue to make mistakes (like my son, we are all quite human), but we need to ask ourselves which of our behaviors are glorifying, magnifying God in the way that He has called us to, and which are worldly and need to go.
It's up to you. God has offered you grace. How will you respond?