Tough Love...

Tonight I was reflecting on my children, now grown, and the challenges they presented me as a parent as they grew up. There were times that they totally frustrated me, times I wanted to throw my hands up and quit, but through it all I never stopped loving them. Sometimes I didn't want to show it, sometimes I didn't feel like it, but in my heart it was there. My thoughts went to my Father, my Heavenly Father, and I marvel at His love and mercy toward me. I've had so many more years to screw up, to disappoint, and understanding my frustrations as a parent made my appreciation so much greater for the boundless love and mercy God constantly shows us, shows me. Mercy is just undeserved forgivness, Wow.

As I thought of God and His love and mercy I remembered questions people asked like, "Why does God allow bad things to happen?, and, "Didn't God destroy people, especially in the Old Testament? How does a loving God do that?" The second question first- Yes, God did destroy people, but never did He destroy anyone with a repentent heart, with a desire to seek Him out. Peoples that He destroyed, or allowed the Children of Israel to destroy were people who had turned from Him, with hardened hearts, Those that did seek Him he spared, those that repented he heaped his love and mercy upon, just as He does me. Sometimes it takes tough love to get the attention of your children, even to the point of destruction...

As for God allowing bad things to happen, well that's a bit tougher. You see, bad things are not something God desires or orchestrates. They are a result of choice, and a direct result of bad choices we have made. Way back in the beginning God gave Adam and Eve free will, or choice. The choice was simple: obey Him and live in perfect harmony forever with our Creator, or choose to disobey and reap the rewards. Adam made a foolish choice and all mankind pays the price for it. You see, for Adam to choose good the posibility of evil had to exist. For him to choose God the choice to walk away from Him had to exist. And with his choice Adam condemned mankind to a life seperated from a Holy and perfect God. And God, in His mercy, allowed man to die a physical death, so that he might be reborn in heaven a perfect creature once again. God gave us the avenue to undo the wrong Adam did, but it takes death to do it. Tough love, but overwhelming and endless love. Death to gain life. A repentent heart that desires to follow Him again...

Not eveyone believes in Eternal life, or a life after death, but I do. In fact, everyone will experience eternal life- some in Heaven and others in hell. Those who don't make Heaven fall short because they chose to disobey, or ignore, or walk away from God. God doesn't want anyone to go to hell, and I'm sure it breaks His heart every time it happens, but again, that's choice. He desires community with us, but only if we desire it with Him, Free will, choice, unending mercy, and tough love. They're all bundled up together...
Food for thought...