God is a good Father who loves you, even if things in your life have seemed bad. This is a foundational truth for our spiritual journey.
God is a good Father who loves you, even if things in your life have seemed bad. This is a foundational truth for our spiritual journey. As Christian author and teacher Thomas Keating observed, our perception of God significantly impacts our relationship with Him. If we view God as an angry father, a suspicious policeman, or a harsh judge, it becomes incredibly difficult to wholeheartedly embrace the spiritual path.
The Apostle John, in his first letter, sought to help early believers understand their identity as children of God, loved by a good Heavenly Father. In 1 John 3:1 – “See what kind of love the Father has given to us that we should be called children of God; and so we are.” The phrase “what kind” in the original Greek literally means “of what country” or “of what foreign origin.” This implies an astonishing, otherworldly love, one that is entirely unfamiliar by human standards.
Beyond Earthly Measures
This is a crucial point: You can’t use the standards of your earthly parents’ love, or lack thereof, as a measure for the love you assume your Heavenly Father lavishes over you as His child. When we apply earthly standards to divine love, we might intellectually acknowledge God’s love, chosenness, and acceptance, yet simultaneously experience an intuitive feeling that we’re never quite good enough. We might feel compelled to earn God’s complete approval through performance, rather than living from the overflowing abundance of His already-given love. This leads to a fundamental struggle: How can we accept the fullness of God’s otherworldly love for us if we are unable to comprehend a love that isn’t earned by our performance or position?
This struggle is precisely why some of Jesus’ words in Matthew 5:43-48 challenge us so deeply: “You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbour and hate your enemy.’ But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you.” Our human inclination is to prefer loving those who love us and to pray against our enemies. This preference stems from our ingrained belief that love must be earned. But Jesus ends this radical teaching with a profound statement: “…that you may be children of your Father in heaven.” This isn’t a condition for becoming God’s children; rather, it highlights that children resemble their Father. When we love only those who love us, we reflect a natural, human love. But when we extend love to our enemies, we mirror the divine, otherworldly love of our Heavenly Father.
Held in God’s Memory
In exploring God’s otherworldly love for us as our Good Father, let’s recognize that He sees us as children. Psalm 103:13-14 (MSG) illustrates this: “As parents feel for their children, God feels for those who fear him.” Just as a loving parent, no matter how old their children get, always remembers them as their beloved little ones, God holds you in His memory as His child. Regardless of how you’ve come to see yourself, or any negative views you hold of yourself or of Him, you remain His child. God sees you as His little boy or little girl, not the person you thought you needed to become as an adult to be worthy of love.
Imagine what it would look like if you could begin living from God’s love instead of constantly feeling the need to earn it. Think of the story of the man struggling with addiction, who felt God was punishing him and that he needed to earn his way back into God’s good graces. His turning point came when he recognized the father heart of God through his own response to his child’s confession. He readily offered love, acceptance, and support to his child, without requiring them to “fix themselves” first. In that moment, he realized God’s embrace for him was no different – full of love and acceptance in the midst of his shortcomings. His healing began not by earning God’s love, but by accepting it, beyond human standards, by faith.
Repentance Born of Kindness
This is why the Apostle Paul writes in Romans 2:4 (ESV) that God’s kindness is meant to lead you to repentance. It’s not fear, guilt, or shame that truly transforms us, but the overwhelming revelation of His love. We often assume we need to earn our way back to God’s full acceptance, but His invitation is to start from the fullness of His otherworldly love for us as His children.
Consider the simple joy of a parent holding their child who has fallen asleep in their arms. In that state of complete rest and surrender, without any performance or effort to impress, a parent can simply gaze upon their child and find joy. Deuteronomy 33:12 (NIVR) paints a similar picture of covenant intimacy with God: “Let the one the Lord loves rest safely in him. The Lord guards him all day long. The one the Lord loves rests in his arms.”
This invitation to rest in the arms of God as His child, accepting His otherworldly love instead of trying to earn it, is extended to you by Jesus Himself. In Matthew 11:28 (NIVR), Jesus says, “Come to me, all you who are tired and are carrying heavy loads. I will give you rest.” That rest is found in the arms of our Father who loves us.
Yet, so often, when our Good Father says, “Come and let me hold you,” we instinctively reply, “Hang on, let me first fix myself. Let me sort out my sin on my own so that I feel good enough for you to love me.” Imagine how that would break the heart of a parent who loved their child before that love could ever be earned.
Reflect:
- What are some of the “earthly standards of love” that you might unconsciously be applying to your relationship with God? How might these standards be hindering your ability to fully receive His love?
- Reflect on Jesus’ command to “love your enemies.” How does this seemingly “crazy” instruction reveal the otherworldly nature of God’s love, and how does it challenge your own understanding of love?
- In what ways might you be trying to “earn” God’s approval or love, rather than living from the secure knowledge that you are already His beloved child?
- Think about a time when someone showed you unexpected kindness or grace. How did that experience impact you, and how does it compare to your understanding of God’s kindness leading you to repentance?
- What do you need to “let go of” today—fear, shame, a negative image of God, or the need to perform—in order to come and rest safely in your Heavenly Father’s arms?
Closing Prayer
Heavenly Father, we thank You for being a good Father, whose love for us transcends all human understanding. Forgive us for the times we have tried to earn Your affection, measured Your love by earthly standards, or allowed our past experiences to cloud our perception of Your perfect goodness. Help us to truly “see what kind of love” You have given us – a love that calls us Your children, not based on our performance, but on Your astonishing grace. Teach us to rest safely in Your arms, confident in Your unchanging love, and to mirror that otherworldly love to those around us. May Your kindness lead us to deeper repentance and transformation, as we surrender our burdens and find true rest in You. Amen.
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