Hi @happyme, sorry I’ve had a busy weekend and only had time to respond now. Thank you for taking the time to read other discussions in the comments. It’s a good question you ask, and here’s my attempt at responding to it.
Do you punish your children for making mistakes or do you lovingly guide them and teach them not to make the same mistakes again? I do not believe that ‘might is right’. Punishment does not create a loving relationship. Instead it creates one of fear and resentment. If you truly show your children love, they WANT to earn your respect and approval. There is no reason for punishment. I used to fear my parents and I did not want my children to fear me. I never had to punish my children and they turned out quite well.
That’s very good parenting advice, and sounds like you did a great job parenting your children. But you know what… God has done the same for us. God has always loved us; all the beauty in creation, the gift of relationships, and above all the love revealed through Jesus. You won’t truly know the full extent of God’s love until you understand the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross.
The thing is that God has always wanted to ‘lovingly guide us’, and with many people, that’s what God has done for them all their lives. But for many of us, myself included for a large part of my life, we have rejected God and refused to be lovingly guided by him. For some people, no matter how many times God has reached out to them, they have rejected him, and so God allows them to live with the consequences of their sins.
Another thing we need to understand here is God’s justice and holiness. Here’s a part of my response to @maninayton with a similar question he had:
“You say these things because you can’t fully appreciate the concepts of holiness and justice. Many people in the world cannot receive justice for the things done to them in this life time, some because they don’t have the opportunity and other because they don’t have the power. Our judicial systems in the world are flawed because we as people are limitted. But God hates all these evils in the world, and only he can bring about true justice for the wrongs people have chosen to commit. But what kinds of evil deserves punishment and demands justice? As people, we tend to think we are better than others and we are not that bad, but that’s because we can’t fully grasp the holiness or standards/purity of God, in that we have all done wrongs in hurting others. The fact that God chose to voluntarily take the punishment we deserve for us and
suffer in our place, if this isn’t the most amazing act of love, I don’t know what is. He is merciful and patient, patient in waiting for us to come to our senses and
turn back to him.”
Hope this addresses your question and comment. Thanks again for the discussion.
Until next time.
Jimmy
Thanks Jimmy! Please don't feel like you MUST reply immediately. Your daily chores of looking after yourself and your family need to take priority over this course. A response is still just as valid even after several days. I can sense your passion for this topic and that is admirable. Your comments are always respectful and appreciative. I have no idea what you were like in the past, but you seem like a very nice person now. I'm glad to have had the opportunity to meet you here on this platform.
Thank you very much @happyme. I appreciate that. I’m really thankful to have met you here too. You ask great questions and are always open to hearing different points of view. I’ve really enjoyed engaging in the various discussions with you.
Yes, I have a deep passion for this topic because honestly I can say that this relationship with Jesus has totally transformed who I am to the core. It was because my mum saw the transformation in my life that she too decided to explore this faith. That is why I am so passionate in telling other people about Jesus, because I believe he is the truth and the one who I’ve unknowingly been longing for all my life.
I haven’t had an easy childhood as I have written about in my introduction and mini-memoir series, but God has taught me about love, given me joy and peace which were so foreign to me, and a passion for life I never had in the past. He has enriched my life in so many ways and freed me from many of my fears and destructive behaviors in the past. I’m still a work in progress, but I know I am different now. J
Thanks again for your encouragement and taking the time to listen. J
Jimmy
I'll need to check out those posts when I have more time.
I can imagine your enthusiasm is similar to what many new and some old members of Steemit feel about this platform; it actually becomes addictive and you want the whole world to enjoy the feeling you have.
The important thing is that you seek personal improvement and greater understanding which improves your relationships with everyone.