Who loves him more?

A friend of mine recently wrote me an email explaining how difficult his son is being and how frustrating it is to see him turning out to be such an incorrigible brat. He has tried everything and doesn’t know how to get through to him and of course is worried that he’ll never get any better.

I consoled him, knowing how difficult parenting can be. Then I admitted I didn’t have a solution for him, but I did have a new perspective that I thought might help.

“As much as you love Brian, you need to remember that God loves him more than you do. And precisely because He is such a good God, we know he wouldn’t let you guys be solely responsible for the outcome of Brian’s development.

“It’s frustrating to you because it feels like if you don’t get through to him and see progress soon that he’ll never come around. But the God who loves him more than you do is far more in control of his life than you as his parents ever will be.

“Unbelievers worry about their kids in part because they’re parents but also because they don’t have a God in whom they can trust the way we can. God is our good Father, and He loves Brian infinitely more than you do. He rescued you and He can certainly reform him. And remember, His very favorite thing to do is to show people how amazing He is so that everyone comes to believe it more.”