Wait! What Just Happened Here?

I am a man that has spent the better part of twenty-three years following Jesus. Some days are better than others, and if you looked in the Bible that I have carried for the last twenty-two plus years you would see that the passage of Scripture found in 1 John 1:9 has been used probably more than any other.

One of the things that I have to be found more true than false in all this time, is that people tend to usually think of Christianity as the religion of forgiveness. And yes, I used to subscribe to that notion as well. Christianity is so much more than just forgiveness, it started with a relationship, and it ends with a relationship, and there are so many relationships in between. Christianity is all about God rescuing the hearts of those whom He loves. (you and me)

I think if we would look at our relationship in the context of how God created us to be in the first place and lived that way, we would become so much more than we are now. Look back into the Garden of Eden, not at the fall of man, but look at the glory of man. There in the Garden, when God would walk and talk with Adam and Eve, and they had fellowship with one another. I think we are too eager to get to the fall of man, and start the blame process. I think if we would focus more on the glory of man, and not the fall we would do so much better in our walk with the Father. After all, He is not in Heaven waiting to smack us, He's waiting for us to enter into the conversation with Him that He has always wanted.

This morning as we loaded up the car to head out to school, my son blurted out that he hates Mondays because of school. I jumped on that like a chicken on a June bug, telling him to change his attitude. I ended that by saying, "I don't care what you think, if you want to say something stupid like that, then say it to yourself and don't let me hear it." As we drove along I was listening to a teaching on having a conversational intimacy with God by John Eldredge and some of the men at Ransomed Heart. It was during this time that God spoke to my heart. He said, "Would I ever talk to you that way?"

Now when I say He spoke to my heart, it wasn't an audible voice, it was just an understanding in my spirit. And it was not judgmental at all, but it did make me stop and think. I decided that I would have to talk to my son as soon as we arrived at the school, which I did. I told him that I had missed his heart, and that I was sorry for my actions. He didn't even bat an eye, but said, "It's all good dad, I forgive you."

I am amazed at how good my Heavenly Father is to me, to reprimand me, but do it in such a loving way that I can grow from it. I want so much to be able to offer that kind of grace to those around me, and the more that I push my wants and desires to the side, and look at the needs of others I see it happening more and more, and quicker and quicker. Hey wait a minute! I think I've seen some spiritual growth here...and I wasn't even looking for it.