Why do we have such a warped sense of our role as parent in our children's lives. It's as if many of the Christian authors set up the family as a physical image of the spiritual relationship with God.
The Father or head of the household is compared to God.
The Mother who is submitted to her husband and responsible for much of the guidance in a child' life is compared to the Holy Spirit.
Children are equated with sinners, fallen and in need of salvation.
On the surface this may see reasonable and even of the Lord. However, I very strongly believe this to be deception. Fathers and mothers are given the impression that they are responsible for the salvation of their children (maybe not the spiritual salvation, but the physical salvation or rescue from their horrible sinful nature so that they will be saved in spirit). Of course we cannot take responsibility for saving our children. We are not even called by God to do this. We are called to teach them by example what God's love is. Our lives should demonstrate in a physical way the immense love our Heavenly Father has for us.
I think it's a bit funny that if we look at the analogy that I started with in the beginning, these authors that write you must spank your children to restore them to right relationship (for them to receive forgiveness) seem to have forgotten something. If we are following the example of God, then the parents should be the ones being spanked. I mean Jesus paid the price of death for all our sins. If we follow this example then we should receive the punishment that our children "deserve." I wonder how many parents would buy that book.
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