Growing up I knew that I had to do what my parents told me. They were the boss. I didn't always do what they said, but I knew I should have. And if you were to ask me why, my response would simply have been because they were my parents. There wasn't a reason beyond that. As the people who brought me into this world and provided for me once here, they had the right to make demands on my time and energy. They also had coercion techniques to get me to actually do what they wanted. Their authority didn't come from their techniques, but most often their effectiveness did. So when they told me to clean the kitchen, I had to do it and either allowance money or time-out was my motivation. So for example, if a stranger told me that I had to clean their kitchen, I would have no reason to do what this person demanded. They have no authority or right to make demands of me. Yet if they threatened to kill me if I didn't or reward me with $1,000 if I did, then I might be persuaded but not from who they are, but instead the consequence of my choice.
Likewise, there seemed to be a point growing up where the authority of my parents seemed to wither away. I would only do chores to get something in return or to prevent being grounded. I was invested more in the results of my choices than in respecting my parents' authority. They became more like the stranger than my authoritative figure. I was becoming an individual, capable of making my own decisions. I didn't need anybody telling me what to do and especially not what I should do. Even though the situation remained the same in that my parents brought me into this world and provided everything for me, I developed a belief that I could take care of myself. And that I was destined to be in this world anyways, no matter who my particular parents were. They could have been anybody, so what made these two people special so that I had to do everything they told me. Other parents didn't make the same demands on their children so it was all relative.
While reflecting on my childhood, I also started thinking about my relationship with my heavenly Father, since I understand that God represents a father while I play the role of His child in the relationship. I understand that God created the world, therefore created me in it. He also takes care of me as He does all of His creation. So He has rights in our relationship. He can make demands of my time and energy like my parents do.
The question for me is how do I respond. Do I respond out of respect by doing all that He asks of me? Or do I wait and see what sort of reward or punishment is in store for me if I do or don't respond as He wishes? There seems to be times in my life, as with my parents, where I responded both ways. Usually when I want something special I find Bible verses that tell me God will give me everything I ask for if I follow His commandments. Other times I identify with the nation Israel where I am fearful of God's judgements if I stray from His path. God seems to allow me to choose my response, while clearly coercing me in one direction. Of course with this way God is just a means to my own ends and He seems to exist for me, not me for Him.
Then I think about what would it be like to respond to God as I did to my parents as a younger child. I wouldn't do His will because of anything about me. I would follow Him simply because God is God. As creator, sustainer and finisher, God has the right over me to demand anything He pleases. I could simply go along with what He asks of me trusting that the One who brought me into this world will take care of me once I'm here. And I read that indeed He promises to do that, for eternity.
I think this is that faith that God asks of us. He asks us to do what he wills simply because He wills it. Our faith rests in His ability to care for us and give us the desires of our hearts. When we look around at creation we see that in fact God is doing His job very well. Animals get fed and multiply. Forests grow richer and denser. The sun and our atmosphere keep us at a livable temperature. Everything seems to be in order until we get in the way of course. But God is doing what He promises. We even see that God's children are well loved and taken care of both in this world and for eternity.
I think if we can get past the mask of living for ourselves, we can truly see what it means to live for God and therefore be loved. If we can see God's grace(rewards) and justice(punishments) as a means to His love, then we will truly be able to live as His children. Maybe this is what He means when He asks us to have child-like faith.
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