A Mother’s Glimpse of the Father’s Love
God speaks of being our Father throughout Scripture. He is truly our Lord and Master but more than that Christ calls Him “Father’. As a child I used to think of my parents and how they loved me. As the recipient of their love I valued them. Yet my small gestures were nothing compared to what they did for me. They provided everything essential. They also filled my childhood with memorable experiences. As a child I think you expect this from your parents. You grow up and they do these things for you from the start of your life until you move out. So I kind of thought of God this way. Yes I knew He loved Christ but I kind of thought it was obligatory. Then I had kids.
Yes a parent is obligated to care for their children but the love you feel for your child is something very different. As a mother you have an overwhelming desire to care for and love your children. This makes the acts we do for our kids much more than obligatory in nature. It makes those actions come from our hearts.
So this gives us a truer picture of God’s love for Christ. He did not just send Christ down to do a job. It was difficult. Can you imagine your child sitting in a garden on the last night before they would be betrayed, beaten, and killed and asking you to spare them from this torment? It would be pure agony for me as a mother to allow that to happen to my son. Even though it was what they are created for. I would still want to save him.
Imagine the torture of watching your child being abused and then taking all the sin of the world on Himself, and because of God’s holiness He must turn His face away. It’s would be true horror to a parent.
As mother’s, I know understand the explanation of a father and His child. It is a human relationship that parents can completely understand. The Bible repeatedly uses familial terms to describe relationships between God and His creation. Think about marriage. Paul tells us it is like Christ and the church. God is the Father and Jesus is His Son. It is one of the unexpected gifts of motherhood. We see Christ as God’s son and it gives a new wonderful appreciation for what has been given to us.
It is truly one of the gifts of Motherhood!
Q.:
August 16th, 2009 at 10:49 am
Sobering stuff. Great post (and yay for photos!)
Amy B:
August 16th, 2009 at 12:20 pm
Well said, Keri. When I was pregnant I remember wondering if I would love my baby as I should (b/c I know how selfish I am). Now that I have her here, it's no difficulty loving her, but it's humbling to think that God never has those moments of doubt. He always has and always will love His children.
Keri:
August 16th, 2009 at 4:08 pm
It is sobering. Honestly, being parents just gives you an idea of God's love. Even that falls short of the pure and complete love He has for His Son and His children.I've started a part two to this article. Focusing on Christ's love for His Father.
Heatherlady:
August 20th, 2009 at 10:54 am
Beautifully said. It is amazing how being a mother changes your whole perspective on life and on the gospel of Christ. I think God knew what he was doing when he put us in families, there are so many learning opportunities!
Keri:
August 22nd, 2009 at 7:01 pm
Heatherlady, Thank you so much for your comments! It's so great to learn unexpected lessons.