I’ve recently come to know God in a new way. You see, one of my children decided to show out a little while ago. This is not the first time this has happened. Since she is an adult (by age anyway) spanking is not appropriate any more. I’m now faced with a dilemma that God faces every day. In God’s terms, my child sinned against me. She exhibited unacceptable behavior towards me. My challenge is this: I still love her, but I can’t allow her to continue this behavior. Therefore, I cannot just forgive her and move on as if nothing ever happened. That would be enabling. Don’t misunderstand me. I can forgive her. It’s the ignoring the wrong that gets me.
My Mother called me and was perturbed that I would have a falling out with one of my children. “Is this how God would act toward you? You need to forgive!” As I pondered that for a moment, it struck me that this is exactly the feeling that God must have every day. I realized 4 things about this situation that helped me come to know God a little better:
1) God loves me. In spite of my shortcomings and the many times I fail as a Christian, God still loves me. He wants to spend time with me. However,
2) My sin can keep this relationship from becoming intimate. Although God loves me, when I sin, it causes a break in our relationship.
3) God doesn’t simply forgive and forget. The onus is on me, not God, to begin the restoration process. I must ask for forgiveness before God will forgive me.
4) Once I genuinely ask for God’s forgiveness, He acts as if nothing had ever happened. I may remember my wrongdoing, but God doesn’t. Our relationship is instantly restored to that of a Father and son.
I think that we have often bought into the cultural lie that God is too loving to punish us. After all, like my Mom said – why can’t God just forgive and forget? Because it is his nature to shun sin. While grace without sin is not grace, continuing to sin because of grace substitutes entitlement for grace. God does not offer entitlement, he offers grace. How do I become more like God? I need to love the person who has done the perceived wrong to me. I need to be quick to offer grace when asked to. I need to restore the relationship and not hold past wrongs against people. It’s grace that will cover the wrong and restore the relationship, which is really what God wants. It should be what we want as well.