This weekend at Party of Prayer, Pastor Will Dungee (Grace Community Church) spoke about the true fatherhood of God. Calling God our "Father" is not just symbolic, not simply a tool to help us understand him better, or even to help us feel comfortable around such a "huge" God. He is not like a father, he is our (F)father. Will coupled this with an illustration of his family.
As he was in his office preparing for his talk, his daughter came bursting into the room, and climbed in his lap. Anytime she goes to her brother or mother's room, she knocks. But when it's daddy in the room, she just goes in (boldly). If it had been anyone else to burst in and jump in his lap, we would have flipped out, but it was his daughter. His pride and joy, his beloved. BUT, the story doesn't stop there. It didn't take long for her to announce that she didn't want to listen to the slow song that Will had playing; she wanted a fast song. And half-way through the fast song, she wanted a different one. So, let's recap. Will is prayerfully preparing for a talk at InterVarsity. His daughter bursts in, sits in the middle of his work, and demands to hear the music she wants (which changes every few minutes). And you know what? He attends to her. He is glad that she is there. He delights in her.
And God is the same way. We can crawl into his lap and simply say, Daddy, I love you. Daddy, I want to spend time with you. Now, this is not to take away from the vastness, the mystery, and the overall awesomeness (and I don't mean cool-awesome...although he is pretty cool) of God...He absolutely is all-powerful, in charge, and to be feared. But not in a cowering, lowly fear. A fear out of respect. Christ tells us to "Come boldly to the throne of Grace," which is exactly what Will's daughter did with him. She came boldly in and knew she would be accepted.
Why is it that we always think God will reject us? I suppose one item to consider is the fact that we live in a culture of achievement. It's all about what you can accomplish, preferably on your own, to prove your worth. But the truth is, Jesus has us covered. When he died, his blood covered us ALL. Believers and skeptics alike. When we come before the Lord, he sees the coverage of blood, and accepts us, regardless of all the mess that lies underneath.
Now, let's add to the mix the idea of spagkhnozomai that John Freeman talked about in service this morning. The literal gut-wrenching compassion that God has for us. He desires community with us so much that his stomach is in knots. He has a gut-wrenching desire for us to COME BOLDLY to him.
How amazing is that? How humbling?? God desires community, not from me, which implies my control, but with me, and I continually run away. I give myself away to so many inconsequential things, meanwhile the One who truly desires me I turn away from.
I pray (slightly bolder than before) that God would be patient with me as I learn to trust him more, learning not only how to trust Him as a father, but discovering what a father really is.
