Spring Cleaning (part IV)

“I can do nothing on My own…I seek not My own will but the will of Him who sent Me.” John 5:30

With parenting fresh on my mind, I’m starting to have my eyes opened to some of the stumbling blocks in my pursuit of fully embracing this biblical mindset of, ‘I can do nothing on my own.’

One of the goals of earthly parenting is to raise your children to be independent, capable and equipped to go off on their own and no longer depend on you.

It happens in gradual stages. The mom weans her baby off her breast milk. She spoon feeds blended foods, then small pieces of solid food. The child begins picking up little bites and feeding himself using his hands and fingers. Eventually the kid is using the spoon to feed himself. The same gradual training to be independent happens in potty training, in play, in self-soothing, in chores, in reading/education/schooling, etc.

Oftentimes we judge parents to be successful in raising their children by the fact that they are not dependent on them in any way. They have their own homes, their own finances, their own schedules, work, chores, possibly their own children. They keep track of their own appointments, assignments, and upkeep. And the primary reason they call and visit their parents isn’t about what they need, but because they love their parents and want to be with them, to know them, and be known by them as fellow adults.

I’m realizing that this is not the case with my relationship with my heavenly Father.

Yes, God desires me to want to be with Him in order to know Him, to love and enjoy Him for Himself and not for what I can get from Him. He wants me to rest in the fact that He knows me and has known me fully from all eternity.

But we will never have a relationship as ‘fellow adults’. God will always be God, Creator and Sustainer; and I will always be created, sustained.

I think here lies the disconnect in trying to understand God the Father in relation to Emily the beloved daughter.

As parents raise their children to be independent, God is raising His children to be more and more dependent upon Him alone.

Spiritual maturity, in this sense, is the opposite of earthly maturity. The more spiritually mature I become, the more I know and feel my need to cling to my Father.

It’s completely counterintuitive. It’s completely contrary to our sinful, rebellious, stiff necked, stubborn, independent, self-confident, prideful nature.

“Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though He was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but made Himself nothing, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient…” Philippians 2:5-8

This is the mind of Christ Jesus: He clung to His Father, He did not try to find Himself, He did not seek His own identity, He didn’t look within Himself to discover His own passion, He did not seek after His own dreams and goals; but He denied all those things, He denied Himself and sought His Father’s will, as His Servant.

Jesus sought His identity in His relationship to His Father. His identity was God’s Beloved Son, God’s sent one, the image of the invisible God, the last Adam to restore God’s people to their right identity: God’s image bearers.

Denying ourselves, humbling ourselves involves much suffering. Jesus learned to obey His Father through what He suffered. (Hebrews 5:8) It's painful to admit I am not all wise, I am not in control, I do not know what is really best for me. It was painful for Jesus to resist the devil's temptations in the wilderness. He was in great agony, sweating drops of blood as He cried, 'Not My will but Yours.'

“For to this you have been called, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, so that you might follow in His steps. … When He was reviled, He did not revile in return; when He suffered, He did not threaten, but continued entrusting Himself to Him who judges justly.” I Peter 2:21, 23

Jesus endured through the sufferings of His weaknesses of the flesh because His heart was set on fulfilling His Father’s will. His heart's desire was to please His Father by obeying Him. His heart was not divided and distracted by His own desires, His own wisdom, His own comfort; but was wholly set on God Himself.

Jesus endured without sin, because He trusted God’s way of accomplishing His will. Jesus did not count equality with God, but took on the form of a servant. He did not try to tell His Father a better, easier way; but He trusted His Father was just, all wise, all good, all powerful, all knowing.

“Humble yourselves, therefore under the mighty hand of God…casting all your anxieties on Him, because He cares for you.” I Peter 5:6-7

Just as God cared for Jesus while He walked the earth, He cares for me. Jesus proved that the Father is trustworthy. Jesus set us the ultimate example of walking by faith in God, not by sight nor our own understanding.

Gracious heavenly Father,

You have made me know that I can do nothing on my own.

You have made me know the wickedness of attempting to do things on my own.

You have had made me adore Jesus’ humble submission to You, and made me desire to entrust myself, and my loved ones, to You alone.

You have made me know the delight it brings You to care for me, to have me depend on You for all things.

Transform me by the renewing of my mind, so that by taking my thoughts captive, and testing them against the example of Your Son, Christ Jesus, I may discern what is Your will versus my will.

For Your will is good and acceptable and perfect, and mine is selfish, deceptive and desperately sick.

Thank You for Your loving kindness, Your patience, Your wisdom and gentleness in weaning me gradually from the world and from myself, freeing me to abide in You, my Rock, my Refuge, my Abba Father.

For Your glory alone.