My Child Are You There?

There once was a new family that was just starting out on their own. The Couple had just had their first child and had moved into a new neighborhood in a small town. The Father beamed brightly at his new son as he dreamed of all the times they would spend together as he grew up, oh the things he would teach him!
The first few years of the young boy growing up were wonderful times, the Father took him out as often as he could when he was off of work to go do things together. They would go hiking or go the park, or stay home and read or watch movies together.

But as the boy reached his teen years his attitude started to change. He didn't want to go hang out all the time like he used to. As a matter in fact he barely talked to his Father at all anymore. It's not that he didn't love him, he just simply didn't feel the need to talk or hang out.

He would often go about his life without seeing his father for several days in a row, or sometimes he would see him come home from work but it was during a brief run to the fridge before he buried himself in his room again.

Shortly the only time that the two ever talked was whenever the son needed some money or wanted to borrow the car. The Father would try to turn these moments into conversations but as soon as the son got what he wanted he would cut the conversation short and leave.

The Father was greatly saddened by this relationship, but he still loved his son.

~

Kind of sad isn't it? What's sadder is that this type of relationship is all too common in America today in real life. But that's not what I want to focus on today, I want to look at the spiritual aspect of this kind of relationship.

As Christians all too often we have this type of relationship with our Spiritual Father, we become Christians and the first couple months or maybe years we're so on fire for God and we love to be with him every moment we can! Then something just kind of fizzles out and we treat him like a vending machine.

I was talking to a friend last week about our beliefs and so forth. During the conversation she had made a comment about how she didn't really read the Bible on an every day basis, but if she felt like if she needed something she would go to it. 

We need to realize that the relationship we have with God is not just a one way street. Just as we call our Parents from time to time to talk and catch up and let them know how we're doing we should devote the same attention and concern into our relationship with God. 

We have to dive daily into his Holy Word to hear the advice, concerns, warnings, and love that our Father wants to tell us so we can live holy and good lives and stay away from sin. Here's what the Bible says about it.

"All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work." 2 Timothy 3:16-17

"This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall mediate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success." Joshua 1:8

"But he answered, "It is written, "Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God."" Matthew 4:4

"For whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction, that through endurance and through the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope." Romans 15:4

"How can a young man keep his way pure? By guarding it according to your word. With my whole heart I seek you; let me not wander from your commandments! I have stored up your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you." Psalm 119:9-11

And there are so many others that are in there besides these! I encourage you to go find them for yourselves. Hope this helps. 

God Bless, 

      Ryan