Center for Creative Ministry A research organization and research center for Seventh-day Adventist pastors and their congregations
God Is Passionate and Compassionate
Despite the drastic rise of fatherless households, “Fatherhood is just as essential to healthy child development as motherhood,” states The Review of General Psychology. They go on to report that “evidence suggests that the influence of father love on offspring’s development is as great as and occasionally greater than the influence of mother love.”
The report elaborates on the importance of both fathers and mothers, who bring different skills and approaches to parenting.
Some generalized observations about parenting differences include how mothers and fathers play with their children: “Fathers tend to play with their children, and mothers tend to care for them. Generally speaking … mothers cuddle babies, and fathers bounce them. Fathers are rough, while mothers are gentle. Fathers encourage competition; mothers encourage equity. Fathers encourage independence while mothers encourage security.” However, both types of interaction are vital to a child’s growth and development.
Parents communicate differently. “Mothers typically simplify their words and speak on the child’s level. Fathers are not as inclined to modify their language for the child. Mother’s way facilitates immediate communication. Father’s way challenges the child to expand his or her vocabulary and linguistic skills—an important building block of academic success.”
And of course, parents discipline differently. “Fathers stress justice, fairness, and duty (based on rules), while mothers stress sympathy, care and help (based on relationships). Fathers tend to observe and enforce rules systematically and sternly, which teach children the objectivity and consequences of right and wrong. Mothers tend toward grace and sympathy in the midst of disobedience, which provide a sense of hope.” Children need all of these various emphases.
God’s parenting skills also exhibit this balance between justice and mercy, passion and compassion.
While it’s tempting to view God as an emotionless overseer, managing the day-to-day business of running the universe, Scripture says otherwise. God is both passionate about humanity, and, thankfully, compassionate toward us as well.
Psalm 103:13 reveals God as a father who has compassion for a child, and Isaiah 49:15 compares God’s attentive love to a mother’s love for her nursing baby.
God’s heartbroken passion as a parent is expressed in Hosea 11:1-9. God loved and nurtured Israel through its exodus from Egypt and its establishment as a nation in the Promised Land. Yet, Israel turned away from God, like a rebellious teenager, and ran headlong into ruinous danger. God, however, didn’t abandon this unruly child. Instead, God showed passionate love by pursuing Israel with the hopeful desire to restore Israel’s place in God’s kingdom.
As a parent, God provides both playful joy and cautious care; God communicates with us both directly and tenderly; God disciplines us with justice and mercy; and God loves us with passion and compassion.
God is a perfectly complete parent.
For Reflection
Connecting: Do you agree or disagree with the generalized parenting observations listed in this week’s Sharing Scripture? How do they correspond to your own experience in your family of origin?
Sharing: How can those who grew up with exceedingly imperfect (neglectful, absent, or abusive) parents relate to God as a parent?
- It helps to try and understand why parents behave the way they do—how did they grow up?
- We recognize that none of us are perfect.
- For some people, it’s best to just avoid any reference to God the Father, and sometimes, even those texts that refer to God’s motherly characteristics.
- The best way to counteract the influence of imperfect parents is to strive to do better in our own parenting efforts.
- It may be best to focus on God as a friend (since Jesus calls us His friends in John 15:15) rather than a parent.
- Other:
Applying: Effective single-parenting is challenging, but not impossible. What do you believe is the best help your congregation can give to a single parent?
Valuing: Which are you more drawn to: passion, or compassion? How do you think people would describe you—as more passionate, or compassionate? Can you see the value of both, working together harmoniously? How do you maintain a healthy balance?
~ Chuck Burkeen
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| As we pray for healing, peace, and hope for the victims and frontline workers of the Los Angeles wildfires, let us continue requesting divine guidance for those negotiating the Israel-Hamas ceasefire. May the fires and violence cease, and those afflicted come together, rebuilding on the firm foundation that is Jesus Christ.
God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.
Stefani Leeper | Content Coordinator Image copyright: Bigstock |
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