22 December 2024
Good parenting is marked by the provision to the child of all necessary tools for living successfully as an adult. This is not to say that the child does not rebel or have struggles later in life, so much of that is up to themselves. It is to say that the parent loves from start to finish, and with that as a motivator, suits up the child to stand up well to all trials. The child is given food, not just once, but daily. Their attire covers their needs head to foot, provided by the loving parent. Well-being is communicated into their hearts and minds. When a parent condemns their child from the start, we consider them a poor parent. ‘You’ve been bad from the day you were born’ kinds of statements are seen as oppressive, demeaning, and downright abusive. Why would we think, then, that God’s statements to us would be the same?
When God created humanity, it was good. We don’t discount the time of goodness before the fall as of no value when we look at it in this frame of mind. God sending His Son Jesus, then takes a proper place in theology. We start with God’s love, expressed in His creation of us. From the start, we are good. Our iniquity is adopted, inherited, and natural, sure, but not at the complete expense of our inherent goodness. Absolute deplorableness isn’t worthy of salvation. Instead, God loves His creation so much that He sent Himself into our realm. “God did not send the Son into the world to condemn the world,” John 3:17 says, “but in order that the world might be saved through Him.” This is a loving Father, One who hopes for the best in His children. And all we need to do is to show Him our dirty, yucky hands and let Him wash them real good. They need to be seen in the light, a light that He provides. Instead, so many of us would prefer to not let the loving parent wash us up. We cannot be bothered with a good bath.
When the good parent sends the child out of the house off to school, they cover their heads, like what God does to our minds. We are given His mind, a helmet of salvation. The parent puts on a jacket, ‘now don’t leave this at school,’ as God gives His righteousness. We’re not to leave it behind. The child is equipped with books, a lunch, shoes, a belt, in a similar manner that God provides us armor. God loves us that much that we are fully equipped, not only for salvation, but for presentation. As a child going to show-and-tell with a craft project the parent helped them create, so, too, we go into the world. ‘My momma helped me build this!’ We proclaim the good news of what God has built in us, a new mind and a new heart. Good news begins with God’s goodness. The recognition of a need for a bath comes along upon our return home.