I am a Friend of God

We sang the song "I am a friend of God" this morning in service - one that I have sang a dozen times, but today it struck me differently. What does this have to do with Hong Kong you might say? Well, I started thinking how much more of a friend God is to me now then He was even back in Phoenix. Not necessarily that I need Him more, or that He's blessed us more, though He certainly has. It has to do with teaching the children His stories.
Yeah, as a kid I had a passing knowledge of stories like Adam and Eve and Noah's Ark. But they were like the Easter Bunny to me. I didn't know the heart behind the stories. But now I am responsible for teaching the students these biblical stories and not just telling the story but delving into the meaning and the lesson God wants us to know from them. The bible is so full of instructions for us to be safe, healthy, happy and whole. And that is what is evident to me now in ways it wasn't before. God is my friend and He loves me. We heard in church today that love is wanting what's best for someone - be it friend or enemy. And God wants what's best for me and for you. He teaches us that we should tell the truth and be good to each other, and not seek revenge and to be obedient. It's only through obedience that we can be truly free. And I can see that so clearly when I apply that to the classroom. We talked about the rules in the classroom and how when Mrs. Davis tells you to use walking feet it's not to be mean but to keep you safe. Or how you have to raise your hand before you speak so that everyone gets a chance to be heard and that you listen when other's are speaking. We talk about these rules, we colored a page illustrating these rules and we review these rules. Am I being hard on them? Too strict? No - if they are obedient they will be happier as a result and the classroom a pleasant, safe place to be. As the teacher I know that and they - as the children - don't. So it's my job to help them through that. That is how God is. He's not oppressing me - He's freeing me by giving me boundaries. We are His children.

These lessons bring me closer to His nature. We stay on one story for a week. We pray together and we learn together. I can see how God was sad when people made bad choices. Just like I am sad when a student hits another student in anger or something like that. I want to say - but you know better! Why did you do it? Now we have this issue we have to deal with. But that's how we all are isn't it? The Pastor today talked about how - even as adults - when someone wrongs us we have that "playground reaction." But really, that's not the way we should respond. Mature faith requires us to pray for our enemies and that is hard. But when all is said and done it's what's really right. I am the teacher but I think God is using this situation to teach ME. If we would just listen to Him like I want my students to listen to me then all would be well. I don't mean that everything will be perfect in your life - things still happen in the classroom even if we do follow all the rules - but when those things do happen we know how to best respond and handle it. Some verses I think apply:

Genesis 6:5-6 The LORD saw how great man's wickedness on the earth had become, and that every inclination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil all the time. 6 The LORD was grieved that he had made man on the earth, and his heart was filled with pain.

Matthew 18:3 And he said: "I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.

Matthew 19:14 Jesus however said, "Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them; for it is to those who are childlike that the Kingdom of the Heavens belongs.

Romans 12:17 Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everybody.

I've heard people say that being a Christian is too strict and that God is a tyrant and so on...but when you love God back (because He already loves you) then you want what He wants for you. You want to be obedient because you see that it is out of love that He asks us to do certain things. Not that we always do - sometimes what we want to do and what we do are two different things. But that's a whole other path I could go down...Ernie found this book in the giveaway pile in the breakroom and it's called "None of these Diseases" by Dr. S.I. McMillen and it was written in 1968. I started reading it and it brought revelation to me as well. God gives instructions in the Old Testament that are law for the Jewish people so you might say why follow some of that as a Christian - Jesus frees us from the law (again - a whole other path I could go down but I won't right now) but it talks about thing like how the bible gives instructions to Moses on cleansing the hands after dealing with the dead or infected but for so long Doctors and students in hospitals would do autopsies and then go perform surgery and wonder why the mortality rate was so high. I quote "At long last, in the year 1960, man finally muddled through. He learned, after centuries and at a frightful cost, what God gave to Moses as inspiration." There's MANY other instances like that and I'm only 3 chapters in. I believe God created us and therefore knows what is best for us. Plain and simple. So through all of this - when we sang "I am a friend of God" I truly understood it this morning.

Well, that's all my ramblings for now. Good for you if you made it all the way through - I know it's long. God bless!