The beauty of having kids is that you get to see what your own parents had to deal with when they raised you! And this reality really hits home when they learn that all important word, “NO!” I sometimes think they learn that word before they even utter, “Mama” or “Daddy.” After “no” the next word they seem to pick up is “MINE!”

Even if you don’t have kids, I’m sure you know the drill. But despite the first exercises of their free will, for the most part, our kids trust us. Kids trust their parents. They trust most adults, be they parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, friends, etc. They usually trust people that their parents trust.

They are too young to comprehend all the factors with which their parents or guardians process as an act of love in order to raise them responsibly. They DO NOT KNOW that they DEPEND on their parents, yet, they know that they can.

They know that they will be fed. They know that they will have shelter. They know that when they stub their toe, they will be comforted with a warm embrace. They know that when they are scared, they have someone that will keep them secure. They know that when they have doubts, that someone will guide them to the truth.

They know that their parents would never hurt or harm them, but are their safe place. They know they can trust their parents implicitly. They trust their parents with BLIND FAITH because the Love & Care of their parents has been their REALITY from the beginning. They just KNOW.

So why is it that the older we get, we begin to UNLEARN that Blind Faith that we had in our parents? We begin to challenge and rebel against their directions and their judgments? We start to call our parents, “stupid,” “outdated,” or “wrong.” What happened to this RELATIONSHIP OF TRUST that had once upon a time made us so safe, secure, and happy?

This is what happened… we let the world get in the way. We started listening to and taking our cues from broken people. We allowed narratives and opinions of people outside of our family to influence us to the point where we began to question those in whose hands we had trusted our lives from the day of our birth.

Now, granted, there are a far too many people in this world that did not grow up with ideal parents or even knew their parents at all. I had wonderful parents, but they were FAR from perfect. My family had its own set of dysfunctions. But we did have a foundation of love underneath it all. And we knew Jesus as a family. Sadly, many people haven’t had this kind of family, but I think that most of us, at the very least, have some understanding of what a healthy family is supposed to look like. (And if you don’t know this, look to the Bible, NOT to TV families!)

So, with this ideal in mind, when we think of God as our Heavenly Father – the One who nurtures us, affirms us, embraces us when we’re down, keeps us secure from our enemies, clothes us, feeds us, and has even SAVED US – why do we choose to walk in disobedience and rebellion from the One who would NEVER lead us astray, would NEVER lie to us, the One who LOVE US?

When we were NEW in Christ Jesus, we were “all in,” just like a little child. But as we grew in that relationship with Jesus, we began to take advantage of His grace and mercy and we fell back into listening to the voices of the world. We became arrogant and prideful. We say, “I GOT JESUS!” rather than realizing that it’s JESUS WHO GOT US!

We must remember, that as followers of Jesus Christ, we ARE STILL GOD’S CHILDREN and are SUBJECT TO HIS FATHERHOOD. The writer of the book of Hebrews illustrates this relationship:

Hebrews 12:10-11
“10 For our earthly fathers disciplined us for a few years, doing the best they knew how. But God’s discipline is always good for us, so that we might share in his holiness. 11 No discipline is enjoyable while it is happening—it’s painful! But afterward there will be a peaceful harvest of right living for those who are trained in this way.”

Further, God reminds us of His discipline, but only because He loves and wants HIS BEST FOR US:
Proverbs 3:11-12
“11 My child, don’t reject the Lord’s discipline, and don’t be upset when he corrects you. 12 For the Lord corrects those he loves, just as a father corrects a child in whom he delights.”

I want to challenge us, as I challenge myself, to remember that even as I am an ADULT, I am still a CHILD OF GOD and am responsible to be obedient and not rebellious, to be loving and not distant. In our relationship with Christ, it’s time to REGRESS back to having child-like dependence on God, our Heavenly Father, because the things of this world will soon pass away, yet our relationship with God our Father is a FOREVER kind of Love.

God bless you all, and we hope to see you Sunday!
— Pastor David McCall