Who Are These Jerks?

This is really scary for me, but kids everywhere have asked this angry question. But here's the thing. It's not about bullies or about criminals; it's not about meanies or about rude people. It's about their parents. Because for whatever reason, their parents have been unfair and unjust and have become major jerks. Like, seriously. These kids don't know why their parents do what they do. Maybe the parents aren't top notch or the kids have too much pride. I don't know what, but there's something wrong here. There's something dysfunctional happening, and it's not good. I feel so bad for these kids who have such terrible relationships with their parents. Either the parents or the kid or both are really blind in this situation--blind to the circumstance, to the heart, or to the reason. And it's really sad. We've come to a place where "I told you so" is taken way too far and starting to mean there's no understanding.

And maybe you can't help it. Maybe the other person in this relationship is irresponsive. What are you gonna do? This is crucial. Maybe you can survive with a difficult earthly parent, but what if that parent isn't exactly from earth? What if this means more than even an extremely crucial earthly relationship?

What if this is with your Heavenly Father?

What if you can't talk to God without feeling intense anger? What if when you think of God, you ask,"who is this jerk" and "why is He so unfair"? Why is the God of justice and mercy so unjust and unmerciful?

Well, that's no good.

Assume you are a Christian, and God is the giver of your eternal life. And you're forgetting what God has really done for you. He has let badness enter the world by our free will. We chose to be sinful, and we were born into sin. But why? So that when we choose to not sin, we choose God. We choose to love Him--and isn't love by choice the only true love? That's all God wants. That's why Jesus came to die for our sins--so that we could choose God, and God could wash away our sins with Jesus' blood. And true love could be real.

Before you keep calling God a jerk for the bad stuff in the world that He let us choose, remember that true love wouldn't exist without the ability to choose. And reconciliation couldn't work without Jesus. So, it may take us eating our pride at times, but we've still got to remember what Jesus has done for us  and what He calls us to do.

"As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love."-John 15:9