Let God parent you

Growing up in a household with both parents has made me realize that my parents had an authoritative style of parenting. This type of parenting style refers to a form of parenting whereby the parents provide support for their children. Other aspects of this kind of parenting include nurturing and being responsive. That is really all that a child can dream of having from their parents.

However, it also includes the characteristics of being firm in parenting. Parents accomplish this by discussing the rules with their children and making them understand them. This parenting style draws the parents to hear the viewpoints that the children raise, but parents do not always agree with these points but are open to hearing them. The fact of the matter is that we are not always going to understand the rules that have been set in place by our parents, but we have no choice but to listen to them because we trust them.

I would like to believe that it is similar in our relationship with God, but our relationship with God has limits that we have created as human beings that prevent us from fully experiencing this parenting style in God. As humans, we tend to shut God out. God shows us in various ways that we are connected to Him, and in order for us to grow, we will have to connect with Him and interact with Him for this to happen.

In the book of John 15:5, God tells us that He is the vine and that we are the branches. He goes on to explain how this means that we would be abiding in Him since we are the branches and He is the vine. Then He even shows us that being connected to Him and abiding in Him will have benefits for us, and we will bear much fruit. Then He ends this off by stating that if we are apart from Him, we can do nothing.

As we read this verse in John 15:5, we can see aspects of the authoritative parenting style. We can see that God is telling us who He is (the vine) and who we are (the branches) in the same way that a parent would remind their children that they are the parent and we are the children, thus bringing us to remember our place as children. Then He explains what this means, as parents would explain their rules to their children. Then, He goes as far as telling us what listening to Him will do for us, which is allow us to bear much fruit. He ends it off by reminding us that He is firm with what He has told us, so much so that if we do not abide in Him, we will have nothing.

So, the Lord is inviting us to open that part of the relationship that humans have closed, which is the interactive aspect of the relationship. We don’t allow God to speak to us and explain certain things to us through guidance. We are quick to react to God’s firm nature, and when we do this, we are rejecting God's space to be supportive and responsive to us as our Father.

We need to allow God to speak to us and pour into us.

In order to accomplish this, one would have to invite God into their lives and allow Him to be responsive and supportive, as a vine is to the branches. As we do this, we will see that, as the branches, we will receive the nutrients we need to survive from the vine. We need to do what Joel 2:13 says. In this verse, He is encouraging us to repent by rending our hearts and not our garments and to return to Him because He is a good God who will work it out for us. Then give God the space to explain these things to you through quiet time with Him. Give God the space to respond to you, and you will find His answers in His word if you let Him.