God, The "Perfect" Parent

There are many names in the Bible that we get to call God by, from Savior to Lord, the richness of each of His titles brings with it much meaning and depth into who He truly is.  However, I believe one of the most precious and powerful titles God gives himself and allows us to call Him by is "Abba, Father" (Romans 8, Galatians 4).  The reality of the Truth that we are HIS CHILDREN is profound.  And being a mother has given me a new glimpse into the vast love God the Father has for his children.  I have a new tangible example, in a small way, of the immensity of this love God has for his beloved. 

Because of this, I have come to realize that we have an example of a perfect parent to follow.  The way in which God cares for His children should in turn be reflected in how I care for my own children.  Although I will never be the "perfect" parent as He is, I have the promise that He equips and enables us to be faithful to our calling as parents.  We have been entrusted with precious "arrows" in which we are to train up in Him, prayerful that they will not only call us mom and dad, but will call God, their Father as well.

LOVE:
As I thought about how God parents His children, love kept coming up in every example throughout Scripture that I could find.  His love for us is sacrificial, deep, and perfect. "He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things? ...For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord." (Romans 8:23, 38-39)

As we parent our own children we are called to love them LIKE GOD loves His own children.  Are we willing to sacrifice ourselves to love our children?  Are we willing to love them extravagantly no matter what the cost to us?  We love them, in prayer that they would SEE HIS LOVE and come to know and experience that love for themselves.


INSTRUCTION:
From the creation of mankind, God has laid out His rules, or instructions.  These commands have been set in place to guide and direct us towards obedience in Him, and also to protect us from the perils of sin (and of course ourselves).  The phrase "Dad knows best" is true, when God is your Dad!  His instruction is always clear, wise, and profitable.  

As a parent we are called to instruct our children (in the Lord) as well.  We are to guide them, direct them, and point them toward obedience in Him.  We are to teach them ultimately to love Him, to fear Him. With the gift of a child comes great responsibility as we have been called to be faithful in training/instructing them.  But with the grace of our Lord, it is possible.  And it all begins with Deuteronomy 6:5 "Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength."

EXAMPLE:
Within Scripture we see the life of Christ, a perfect example of how we are to live our lives.  Just as Christ left a life worthy of imitating, we too should live a life that our kids would want to imitate.  I'm not talking about our hobbies and our employment necessary, but rather our character and our passion for the Lord.  We must lead by example.

SACRIFICE:
One word satisfies this...Jesus.  He was and is the absolute example of sacrifice.  His selfless love and willingness to give his life for us, His enemies, is dumbfounding.  1 John 3:16 "This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters."

As parents, we are going to continually be called to sacrifice...our time, our money, our bodies, etc.  Will we follow Christ, and show our children JESUS in the way we sacrifice? 

Despite our failings, daily, we can have confidence that as we seek His grace, power and equipping, He will be faithful to enable us to be the parent He desires us to be, a mere glimpse of the Father He is to us, His children.