Other people’s children

I kinda have a reputation now: the anti-child.

Apparently, I was not born with the gene that allows me to love every child I meet. I certainly don’t hate children, and it angers me when people harm or abuse them. But you won’t find me first in line when it comes to volunteer for nursery duty.

Actually, my like or dislike of children is directly proportional to how much I like their parents. The closer in friendship I am to people, the more I enjoy their kids (it is fun to see the similarities between parent and child). If we are all honest, it is probably the same for you.

I’ve been convicted recently that this matters when it comes to my relationship with God.

My Father’s children

In I John 5, John writes “Whoever believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God, and everyone who loves Him [God] who begot also loves him who is begotten of Him.” (vv 1-2, ESV)

Some say, “I love God, but not Christians” or “I can stand Jesus, but not the Church.”

I say … “Baloney!”

How would a friend of mine feel if I said to her, “I want to spend time with you, but I want nothing to do with your child”? Would my friend think I loved her if I treated her child as persona non grata? Nope. Such an attitude would rightly push us apart.

Meanwhile, it is both naive and unbiblical to think that one can have a relationship with God and yet actively and persistently turn your back on the bride of Jesus Christ.

If you think you’re in a relationship with God and he allows that, then it’s either not a real relationship or it’s not the real God.

“…that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God. (Ephesians 3:17b-19 ESV)”

If that is the love God has for His Church, we should be no different.

I should be no different.