Hey, Cobblestone,
Not long ago, Andrew asked me, “If you could snatch the whole
church’s attention for one minute, what would you tell them?” Easiest question
I’d had all day. Answer: “Y’all have forgotten who your Daddy is.”
May I snatch your attention for a minute or two?
In every conversation I have with Christian brothers and
sisters, I sense some level of disconnect from the Father. In conversations
ranging from casual to heavy-duty counseling, there is evidence of a distance
that my brother or sister considers unbridgeable: “Abba is not with me.” My
heart groans.
There’s a certain category of thoughts we think that don’t
quite make it to consciousness. They exist as a submarine exists at periscope
depth, seeing but not seen, yet they have a profound effect on conscious
thought. If I were to ask, “When was the last time you thought, ‘The Father has
abandoned me’,” you might say you’ve never thought such a thing. But if you and
I ask each other how often we’ve come to the end of our resources without
praying, the occasions would be recent and many. The underlying thoughts guide
the actions.
Matthew tells of the temptation of Jesus in the fourth
chapter of his Gospel. An odd thing happens in the account: Satan talks about
the Father as if he isn’t there, as if Jesus is separated and left to face the
tempter alone. Jesus makes it clear that the devil is self-deceived; in each of
his three responses he puts the Father front and center. Even in the
wilderness, led there by the Spirit for the purpose of being tempted, Jesus was
holding a lifeline anchored in heaven, a hotline without disconnect. But that
was Jesus, right?
What remedy can I give for the disconnect we so often feel?
On my own, I have no remedy at all. And the world is no help, deconstructing
fatherhood in every aspect. I can only tell you what is true in Scripture, and
has been true in all times: But to all
who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become
children of God… (John 1:12). Your
life is hidden with Christ in God, Colossians 3:3 assures us – his life is
our life.
You and I, we’re up against some awful afflictions, not the
least of which is a world gone completely off its rocker. It would seem we are
orphaned on this planet, in this wilderness. Insidiously, the tempter will keep
on talking as if the Father is too far away and too busy to be concerned with
any of us. Hold fast and remember: the only thing the tempter fathers is lies.
For you did not
receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have
received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, “Abba!
Father!” The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are
children of God, and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and fellow
heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may also
be glorified with him
(Romans 8:15-17).
The only way I’ve ever found to make this work is to believe
that it does. Evidence follows belief.
I’m convinced that at the root of every problem we face is a
perceived disconnect from our Father. I’m equally convinced that resolution to
any problem is attained by bridging the gap, and bridging it with the faith our
Father implants in us. To that end, I won’t let this subject go until he
releases me. The tempter is eating our lunch, and he must be stopped.
Meanwhile, a word of hope and benediction:
Now may our Lord Jesus
Christ himself, and God our Father, who loved us and gave us eternal
comfort and good hope through grace, comfort your hearts
and establish them in every good work and word (2Thessalonians 2:16-17). Amen.
Grace and Peace (and faith to cry out),
John
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