The Abundant Life: Riches money can’t buy…
The abundant life views God as a loving father, not one whose primary purpose is to punish, reprove, penalize, chastise, rebuke, and condemn.
Those with fathers who were distant or absent during childhood may feel God is far away and disinterested. Those with fathers who continually put them down may feel they can never be good enough for God’s blessings. Those who only received attention when they behaved badly may feel God will never notice them unless they misbehave. Those who loved their fathers dearly but were hurt when that love was never reciprocated may be reluctant to openly acknowledge love for God the Father.
We are products of our past. Those who were fortunate enough to have loving physical fathers can find it easier to believe in a loving spiritual father. It can be challenging for those whose formative years were marred with unpleasant memories of their dad to realize God is not like some earthly fathers who disappoint and abuse their power. God is a good father.
In fact, God is the ultimate good Father. He is never too busy for us. He is always available and willing to give us His undivided attention. Rather than being quick to zap us when we get out of line, He is slow to anger and plenteous in mercy. When we need discipline, He gives it lovingly—just enough to bring us into alignment with His will. He seeks not to control us, but to love us. He loves us even if we reject Him. He believes in us, even if we don’t believe in Him.
God is not distant. He climbed into our world to get even closer to us. Like one who stoops to look into the eyes of a child to better communicate with them, He came to us. He takes us by the hand and leads us through every stage of our lives. He laughs with us, cries with us, and is with us every step of the way. He never leaves or forsakes us. (Hebrews 13:5)
His goal is not to lay down ultimatums so we will never measure up. He seeks not to condemn but to redeem. (John 3:17) God is our loving Father.
Does our view of God matter? I think it does. If we view Him as harsh, we will be reluctant to surrender our will to His. However, if we view Him as loving and kind, we will want Him actively involved in every aspect of our lives.
We live in a disillusioning world. People let us down. Even the best of human fathers will disappoint at times. They are not perfect. But there is ONE who is perfect. He will never let us down. He gave His only begotten son to die for us. (John 3:16) His arms are always open to receive us, comfort us, be with us through life’s ups and downs, and give us that reassuring hug when we need it.
The abundant life views God as the loving Father He is, and their lives are much richer because they do.
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“…I have come that they may have life and that they
may have it more abundantly.” ~John 10:10 (KJV)
