A Father we can trust

     Psychology from a world viewpoint is the scientific study of the human mind and its functions, especially those affecting behavior in a given context. From a biblical viewpoint, psychology is the study of God’s design and creation of human behavior; i.e. instincts, thought, and emotions.

     Whether from a world or biblical viewpoint, psychology always holds the potential for (excuse the pun) mind-blowing discoveries. Over the centuries, psychology has taken us further and deeper into making what’s unknown known but, at the same time, revealing the vastness of what remains unknown.

     Human relationship is an integral aspect of psychology with love identified as the most profound emotion known to man. Science has concluded that the need for human connection is innate (natural to the human experience) but that the ability to form healthy, loving relationships is learned.

     “Some evidence suggests that the ability to form a stable relationship starts to form in infancy, in a child’s earliest experiences with a caregiver who reliably meets the infant’s needs for food, care, warmth, protection, stimulation, and social contact,” wrote the author of “Why Relationships Matter” published in an issue of Psychology Today magazine. “Such relationships are not destiny, but they are theorized to establish deeply ingrained patterns of relating (well) to others.”

     For Christians, any time that science determines something to be “innate,” the source is God, who is the creator of all things. Also for Christians, any time science brings up love, the source is God, who in our belief (and experience), IS love.

     So from a Christian viewpoint of a scientific conclusion, God created us with a natural desire for relationship but then assigned the formation of healthy, loving relationships to the human experience.

     From years of ministry to hurt and wounded people, we have seen that this also applies to our relationship with God.

     Scripture tells us that God desires a “father-child” relationship with His creation. “Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us, that we could be called children of God!” (1 John 3:1)

     Children whose experience is with an abusive, contradictory or distant parent(s) have great difficulty building healthy relationships with themselves, others, and, especially, parental figures. This is termed “insecure attachment.” The scientific theory that forming healthy relationships is learned behavior is clearly demonstrated here.

     It isn’t hard to see, then, that people suffering from “insecure attachment” also have great difficulty entering into a loving relationships with God as Father. When our childhood experience is with an unsafe, neglectful, or missing father (or mother), any confusion regarding the consistent good of God will result in an inability to form an intimate relationship with Him.

     Also, if we have been raised in a faith that teaches that God is punitive and that He punishes us for bad or disobedient behavior, we can be fairly certain that our relationship with Him will feel unsafe and inherently damaged.

     This is where the battlefield of the mind wreaks havoc as we wrestle with faulty core beliefs about God as Father.

     This is a timely matter.

     As the Body of Christ continues to share words, visions, insights and opinions with the world regarding God’s role in the current COVID-19 pandemic, it is imperative that we accurately communicate the true nature of God.

     Some people are inarguably turning to faith during this time of distress – and that’s a reason to celebrate – but we need to be clear that God did not cause this pandemic to coerce people to turn to Him. So much of what is being spoken by Christian voices are nothing more than long-held mistruths about God being applied to a new situation. We need to be willing to go deeper and sincerely seek God for His wisdom about every aspect of what’s happening.

     This includes, dear brothers and sisters, sincerely seeking God for His perfect definition of “judgment” and “discipline.” A personal introspection into consciously or subconsciously desiring that others are punished for what we judge to be their failures, weaknesses, and transgressions, would also be in order.

     If we don’t get the truth about God’s character and nature straight, we are setting-up fragile new believers for a lifetime of second-guessing whether God is consistent in His goodness. They need to know that He is a Father they can trust. This will ground them in the present storm and also during any other hardship they may encounter in the future.

     Just like any child needs the stability of a secure attachment to their earthly parents, we humans flourish in the context of being attached and dependent upon a faithful, one-hundred-percent reliable, heavenly Parent. Then He becomes our sturdy rock, our strong tower, and our immoveable anchor, no matter what happens.

     Knowing God as a loving forgiving Father radically grounds us and gives us peace. When the world sees this peace displayed in us – which defies understanding given the current conditions – a relationship with God becomes desirable.

     A golden opportunity for the church to be a light? Yes! But absolutely not God pulling strings like some cruel puppeteer to manipulate the fickle hearts of men.

     As traumatic times and events present themselves, the cause (as well as the flurry of anxious activity as we attempt to find solid ground) is our doing.  God is, and always has been, and always will be the solution. God is not surprised and He is not shaken. He is fiercely and serenely constant, remaining steadfastly devoted to our well-being by loving us, forgiving us, counseling us, encouraging us, inspiring us, and strengthening us every step of the way.