I often sense that my children are here to enlighten me with respect to my relationship with God. I love my children completely. I want them to be happy, safe, and a benefit to those around them. Because of my experience, and their lack thereof, I can guide them through the various dangers the world presents them that would harm their chances at that safety and happiness, and that they would not otherwise recognize and avoid.
But sometimes they just won't listen.
My kids are often stubborn. They think they know better. They want to do what they want to do. I try to warn them, to teach them the wiser course, but there are times when my voice gets drowned out amongst the various distractions. They listen to their own desires, or to friends, or to how they think everyone else does things. Inevitably, this leads to consequences they most assuredly would rather do without.
That, unfortunately, is exactly what I do to my Father in Heaven. I will sometimes listen to everyone and everything but the very person that matters most; the very person that knows the most. I'm sure he feels just as frustrated and saddened by my disobedience as I am by my children's. And I'm quite certain that I would rather do without the consequences of my own stubbornness.
6 comments:
There is a significant difference here. Your children know without any doubt what you want them to do, whereas you only surmise that you understand what your deity desires for you. Your children disobey in part because they need to establish that they are independent actors with the ability to understand their situation and act appropriately and wisely.
As your children are often wrong in their assumptions about their own abilities, you may also be wrong in your assumptions about what you imagine you hear from a deity. However, just as your children need to experiment with and test their own ability to make decisions, you need to do the same without the crutch of imagining that your decision is influenced by some communication with an ineffable almighty.
"....you only surmise that you understand what your deity desires for you."
I don't "surmise" anything....I know that my Heavenly Fathers desire is for me to be happy. Not just "for the moment" happy. But eternally happy. And through prayer, scripture study, faith, and meditation....I have received direction from Him on multiple occasions.
There is a difference between "imagining" a conversation with God and recieving guidance.
Though there might be a difference between us guiding our own children and that of Heavenly Father guiding us....there is a significant similarity as well. I may speak directly to my children...they hear me loud and clear. Whether they LISTEN or not...is up to them. Heavenly Father does not speak "directly" to me face to face. But the similarity is that though I might hear Him loud and clear...I might not LISTEN.
Is that the point you were trying to make Cam?
Oh yes. Had a little conversation with God once that went something like this. "Help! I can't figure out how to get my daughter to try to just do a few things that she needs to do to be happy consistently so her life won't be chaos." "Yes, I know!" He answered back.
Very insightful. We do know what our Father wants us to do, if we remain worthy and in tune. Thanks for the gentle reminder.
Thanks for the insightful post Cameron.
I linked your blog last week.
Rob
Thanks everyone for the kind words, and thanks Rob for the link.
DL, as always, you're a burst of sunshine in an otherwise cold and gloomy world. :-)
You bring up a couple of interesting points, so I'd like to try and respond a little without getting too bogged down in the details.
"Your children know without any doubt what you want them to do"
Only if I tell them. Unless you argue that they are born with the innate ability to know my will.
"Your children disobey in part because they need to establish that they are independent actors"
Disobedience does not equal independence.
"you may also be wrong in your assumptions about what you imagine you hear from a deity."
Too true. So I'd better pay close attention.
Post a Comment