Things didn’t get off to a great start the other day.
I had to work a little later than normal so I could attend a meeting, which meant that the kids had to spend a little time “on their own” until I got home. This usually means a reiteration of (unpopular) rules, eyes getting rolled, and a whole lot of uncertainty for me. The kids are very head strong (which can be a good thing – they can both be models of perseverance and patience when they want to be) and will sometimes do their own thing when they think I am not looking.
I was particularly worried about my (younger) son who had expressed that he was going to do what he wanted regardless of instructions – not a great feeling for a parent. I knew there would be a phone call when they got home so we could have a reiteration of expectations.
What would I say, though? I found myself in a trap I think a lot of people find themselves in…thinking about what punishment would take place when the rules weren’t followed. It was frighteningly easy to come up with all levels of ideas that would apply depending on theoretical infractions that hadn’t taken place yet. It was then a little voice broke into my thoughts and said “stop”…
You see, I realized that I didn’t want to be thinking about punishments at all. What I REALLY wanted to do was reward them for doing what I asked and being good. And, I wanted to reward them in abundance – not “buy them a car” abundance, mind you, but to bless them beyond their expectations for sure. It really upset me to be thinking about punishments when I wanted to be thinking about blessings.
It is here when my thoughts then turned turned to God. I believe God wants to bless each and every one of us beyond our expectations, and I think it breaks HIS heart when we choose a life where this is impossible.
Sure, God could certainly rain infinite blessings down on us regardless of our actions (and, in truth, I think it’s a testament to His character that we can still find ourselves blessed even when we do things that might not warrant it), but that would violate His nature as a good God who is just. No responsible person would say that it’s right to reward people who do the wrong things (and continue to choose them), regardless of one’s heart to bless and reward in a rich and loving way.
By the same token, God is not sitting on His throne waiting to pounce on us with well-planned levels of punishment when we screw up. However, sometimes He has no choice but to let the consequences of our actions come full circle so we feel the full weight of our choices. God’s not “inflicting punishment” on us in that case; we are (see Proverbs 1:31-32). And, when we come to that point where our actions hit us right between the eyes and realize what we’ve done, He tells His people that they are not only forgiven, but that he’s going to bring good out of it too. If that weren’t enough, He then gets back to the business of finding ways to give you a blessed life! How awesome is that?
In the end, things turned out great that afternoon. The kids did very well, and I am proud of them. I was able to give them something they didn’t expect as a reward. It felt great to do so, and I look forward to the next opportunity to bless them again. I love that our Creator feels the same way about us!
Again, I find myself amazed at how the relationship between child and parent mirrors the relationship between us and God, and what a wondrous system He set up for his creation!