The God Journey Chance Scoggins.com Seth Godin
Eighteen years ago my lessons in fatherhood began. It didn’t come as a surprise, we’d had nine months to prepare. But what I didn’t know at the time was that this is a class you never finish.
The total revelation however was how much I needed to learn about being a son. I’m so thankful for the lessons these past eighteen years have brought and am looking forward to those ahead. Thank you Elliot for all you have taught me, Happy Birthday! I love you.
And Happy Birthday Grandma Grace.
We watched the movie “Big Fish” tonight and the following quote really hit me. “The truth is, I didn’t see anything of myself in my father. And I don’t think he saw anything of himself in me.” Think about that for a minute.
While that may be true of some of our earthly fathers, that’s certainly not the case with our heavenly Father, we mustn’t buy into that lie. The truth is that we are made in His image. Don’t let theology complicate that for you, there is much in us that is of Him, He sees it and wants to help us see it too.
Last night we celebrated my Dad’s birthday. He would have been 81 this year. Mom brought a picture of him and showed it to a few people as she was telling them what we were doing. It’s a tradition we’ve loved for the last eight years. I especially like that it communicates honor for him to our children particularly our daughter who was only six months old when he died. The kids brought the picture home and were once again reminded they have a wonderful Grandpa. (or three)
We all have them. I often apologize to our children for whatever their father issues are going to be. None of us are perfect, even Adam and Eve rebelled and they did have the perfect Father. I hope the key to minimizing the pain and damage our children experience because I’m unable to accurately represent the same perfect love their Heavenly Father has for them, is the ability to admit it. To own up to my shortcomings and point them to The One who truly is able to love them in the completely unique and totally fulfilling way their hearts yearn for.
If your dad was nothing like the father we described yesterday, I’m sorry. Don’t let your dad define your God. Your dad’s inability to love you well is not a reflection of you in any way and does not mean you’re unlovable. The intimacy we talked about yesterday between you and God is not only possible it’s what He wants more than anything. Don’t be afraid, if you come to Him with open arms he will always pick you up and love you.
Is there anything better than when your child needs you to hold them, whisper love and blessings to them and just sit still together? I more than imagine it’s the same for the Lord. Nothing brings Him more joy than when we come to Him, fall into His arms, give our burdens to Him and just sit still allowing His love to cover it all. If you could see the smile He gets when He thinks of you.
“The state of being restored to life.”
Jesus’ death on the cross began a separation between He and the Father that lasted until He was restored to life. But His Resurrection not only returned Himself to the presence of the Father it also once and for all conquered death for us as well. We no longer need ever be separated from Him. The arms spread open on the cross are now always eager for a welcome embrace.
I recently heard a phenomenal teaching on grace from Mike Harland. He concluded the message with a story about his son marching in the high school band for the state championship in Texas some years ago. Mike and his family were sitting up at the top of the stands near the judge’s area taking in the event. The contrast between the stern faced judges, critiquing each note and step looking for every flaw, and Mike the proud dad, jumping up and down in his seat waving his coat over his head with whoops and hollers, was significant. Mike ended the story by telling us that we get to choose which spot God is going to take in our lives. Are we going to live life in performance mode, trying to be perfect under our own power and putting God in the judge’s seat? Or are we going to walk through life hand in hand with our loving Father while He cheers us on at every turn? Once again, our choice.
Immanence is another of my favorite attributes of God. It means that He is here with us. It might seem to some to contradict His transcendence (He’s outside of space and time) but it doesn’t at all because as we said earlier, He is infinite. Our immanent God is never far from us in fact scripture is abundantly clear that we literally have Christ in us. On top of that we have the Holy Spirit to guide and lead us and The loving Father to speak to and hear from while His greatest wish is that we would allow Him to shower us with His love.
Triune or Trinity is the name we have given to the fact that The One God has revealed Himself to us as three distinct persons, The Father, Jesus and The Holy Spirit who function in unity as our Creator and God. Each of the three distinctions have and always will exist and are all fully God all the time. Volumes have been written to explain this aspect of God but none of them have left me saying “Oh yeah now I totally get it.” However scripture, history and God’s interaction with us clearly expose these three distinct persons. Much of the debate over this attribute stems from the question “How can He do that?” The answer to that one seems pretty easy to me; He’s God. I can think of a ton of other things that bewilder me about how God does things but hey, if He wasn’t amazing…
The Better Thing 