Friday 29 November 2013

Unconditional Love vs Emotional blackmail


Luk 15:29  So he answered and said to his father, 'Lo, these many years I have been serving you; I never transgressed your commandment at any time; and yet you never gave me a young goat, that I might make merry with my friends.

I know that I have written on the prodigal son before but in this blog I really want to have a brief look at the older brother in the story.

The father in the story represents our Father in Heaven who allows everyone to make their own choices in life.  God does not force people into submission but rather loves them into health and wholeness.

I have been asking God for healing for certain things (like a tooth that is dying) and I got to a point of exasperation and it was in my heart and mouth to say, “but God I do this and I do that, so You should do this”.  I realised afresh I was acting like the older brother, coming to God with conditions and expecting His blessing.  The older son said to his father, “all this time, I have done everything you ask but you did not....”  The older brother did not recognise the blessing he had from his father nor the fact that it was all available for him to use. This kind of conditional thinking hardens our heart toward our Father.  It has brought out feelings in me, that are lies, but nevertheless, in some way have taken root in my heart, that God favours others above me (even though I do this and that for Him).

The bible encourages us to not grow weary in doing well. (2 Tim 3:13)  We never see Jesus using this kind of “emotional blackmail” on those He came into contact with.  He never said to His disciples, after all I’ve done for you, after all I’ve given up for you..”  His focus was never on Himself but purely on those He came to touch regardless of their feelings towards Him.

Joh 2:24  But Jesus did not commit Himself to them, because He knew all men,

Joh 2:25  and had no need that anyone should testify of man, for He knew what was in man.

His Love is totally unconditional towards us. Even though He was scorned, mocked and treated with disdain on earth, “He went around doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil.” (Act 10:38)

As hard as it is, we His children are called to do the same.  God is a God of Love, yet He is also Holy.  This doesn’t mean that we are to blindly close our eyes to sin or that we have liberty to sin more.  Jesus was quite clear that we are to be perfect like His Father in Heaven is perfect.  Jesus warned of the consequences of living a sinful life and encouraged those “to go and sin no more”.

So going back to my emotional blackmail -  God does desire to prosper, heal and bless us.  Can I promise that you will seen His blessing and favour in your life?  I would say, “Yes”, but in God’s timing although I wonder how many times we just don’t recognise His Hand in our lives, or worse forget what He has done.

Hebrews tells us that many of the Old Testament saints did not live to see the promises of God, yet they are rewarded in heaven now and are the “cloud of witnesses” urging us onward and upward.  Great rewards are awaiting us in the Heavenly realms both now in this time and in eternity.

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