WHAT CONTRASTS!

Last night we were at the 4^th Bible study growing out of Revive Indiana witnessing. Present were the leader, middle aged, and obviously a serious Christian. For the first time there was also a middle-aged lady present. Then there was a man, possibly in his late twenties, who had a stroke last year and is still recovering in his memory. And my wife and I.

The lesson was on the baptism of Jesus and how that relates to our Christian experience, upbringing, and relation to our father, in comparison to Jesus and his Father. It was in interesting how the question was answered about each of our spiritual up-bring. I could say that my father read the Bible to us every morning. The middle-age lady said she didn’t grow up with her father, but rather with her mother and grandfather. The young man said, “I never knew a father.” The leader said his mother was religious but his father was more distant.

Then another question arose from the way God declared that Jesus was his “beloved son in whom he was well-pleased.” Did we feel loved growing up? Again two of our group had nothing to say about this as they had no father. I mentioned that my father loved to be with us and would ride me on his foot with his knees crossed. He didn't affirm me explicitly, but liked being with his children. The leader said he was not close to his father and still is not, but wants to write a letter to him soon, trying to bridge a life-long gap.

“Is God pleased with us as his children?” was asked. The lady said very positively that she believed God loved the way she related to him. The young man also affirmed good feeling about God's favor with him. I had more problems with that. Even though my life seems to be embarrassingly blessed by God in contrast to the others, I still could not say that I was comfortable with any real sense of God's approval of me. Perhaps my legalism contributed to that so that I can't just assume I have his total approval. Or my sense of call, in my retirement, is my life still pleasing to him?

It seems I still have to accept that God's favor depends on his goodness, not mine. And that I still need to accept that it is only in Christ that I can rejoice humbly in his favor. Compared to the others present who could readily accept God's favor, I still have to learn that it is all God's gift that we have enjoyed a wonderful life of meaning and fellowship with God, as to how he has blessed us in myriads of ways throughout our entire life, even from before birth.

Yes there were so many contrasts in that Bible study. But I still had a lot to learn and about trusting God for his favor which rests on his goodness, not mine.