From Dan McClain…

Everyone has a mother and a father. As we grow up we may see traits of our parents in us. Sometimes it’s how we look. People will say, “You have your father’s eyes.” Maybe you listen to your mom laugh and you realize that you laugh the same way. Other times you find yourself acting or behaving how your parents behaved. Words will jump out of your mouth, and after you say them, you’re shocked at how much you just sounded like your dad. Some of these traits are genetic while others are learned.

Personally, I see bits of myself in all three of my children. My oldest tends to be a very loyal friend which is something I see in myself as well. My daughter has inherited my geek-ness, to the core. She and I can play Castlestorm by the hour and never tire. My youngest, seemed to inherit a very tenacious competitive streak that I would like to tell you is not from me, but that would be incredibly false. 🙂

When we become parents, either you or your family members will almost immediately begin to make comparisons between the new baby and his or her relatives. As they grow and we parent and raise them, we see them thrive and become little individuals. But we also see them struggle. Sometimes with the same issues or even the same sins that we ourselves might have battled. As parents, we see our children who are such examples of the best and worst parts of us, and we understand the issue or the sin much greater than the child does. We’ve been there. We’ve done that. And we have this understanding because of our own struggles.

Imagine now what this understanding looks like from God the Father’s point of view.  God’s understanding of you, His creation, is intimate and complete. There is not even one tiny area in your life that God doesn’t know and understand like the back of His hand. I take immeasurable comfort in knowing that no matter the struggle, no matter mountain in front of me, whether it be a family crisis or a particular circumstance that is the outcome of my own sin, my Heavenly Father has seen it. And He already sees me on the other side of it!

Psalm 139:1-6 (ESV)

O Lord, you have searched me and known me!

You know when I sit down and when I rise up;

you discern my thoughts from afar.

You search out my path and my lying down

and are acquainted with all my ways.

Even before a word is on my tongue,

behold, O Lord, you know it altogether.

You hem me in, behind and before,

and lay your hand upon me.

Such knowledge is too wonderful for me;

it is high; I cannot attain it.

God understands all of our unique characteristics that we inherited from our parents. He knows our personality. We are His custom design! He understands our behavior better than any human being ever will. He knows how and by whom we were raised. He knows the environmental variables that we’re exposed to that molded our thoughts and instincts.

He has known you since before you were conceived. He does not reject or despise you. He has a Masterful and wonderful plan to recreate you. He knows your mind, your emotions and your will. He understands why you think the way you do. He understands why in that moment, you made that choice. He did not send his Son to condemn you. He sent Jesus to save and change you. To redirect your energies and decisions to noble purposes. And as we seek to follow Jesus and use His teachings and words to guide our lives and then share it with all that are around us, God the Father looks down on us as His children and says, “I can see Myself in them.”

 

Praise!