When I was growing up, I spent a lot of time in Realitos, Texas at the Brieden Dairy Farm. During the day, the boys and I would walk down the long dusty road from the farm and cross a gravel covered road to what we thought was the Grand Canyon. Actually, it was an old gravel pit that had been dug…and it was NOT the Grand Canyon.
Our perspective changes as we grow older. We see things more realistically, now. The houses I lived in were very small, but I saw them as castles. The long walk to school every day seemed like miles, yet it was probably less than a fourth of a mile. The drive to my aunt and uncle’s home took ‘forever’, yet they lived less than two hours away. The porch I used to jump off was maybe ½ foot from the ground, yet I was sure I was jumping from Mt Everest. Our son-in-law made fun of our children because they said the river they swam in was 100 feet from the cliff they used to climb down, so we had to go measure to prove the true height! It was 20 feet!!!
As a young child growing up in church my concept of God was of an angry Father with a big stick in His hand waiting for me to mess up. If I did, He would conk me on the head to chastise me. Oh my, how warped was my thinking! I have a wonderful heavenly Father who loves me and is patient, kind, longsuffering and merciful. He never condemns, lays guilt or shame on me, but He convicts me and disciplines me to change my heart, because He loves me. I’m His child. He sought me and He bought me with His redeeming blood. Hallelujah! A very high price was paid for me. He wants the best for me. He has forgiven my sins past, present and future! I have a future in heaven, for sure. “What marvelous love the Father has extended to us! Just look at it—we’re called children of God! That’s who we really are…” 1 John 3:1A
So, if your concept of God is like mine when I was a child, be encouraged. Let God do a work of grace in your heart and you will see His love for you is unconditional. The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases! His mercies never come to an end. They are new every morning. Great is His faithfulness.
My dear children, let’s not just talk about love; let’s practice real love. This is the only way we’ll know we’re living truly, living in God’s reality. It’s also the way to shut down debilitating self-criticism, even when there is something to it. For God is greater than our worried hearts and knows more about us than we do ourselves. 1 John 3:18
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