A Letter from My Father

As I get to know my Father better in the community at Grace Life, I’m involved in a small-group environment. One of our “assignments” was to write a letter to God. That was an exercise in exploring how we relate to Him. The next week, we listened to what He was saying to us and wrote it down as His letter to us. He spoke to me through 1 Corinthians 13, and since several people commented on it also encouraging them, I thought I’d take a risk and share it with you, too. 

One danger is that you might think God could only speak to you through Scripture. He might speak to you through a movie, a book, a billboard, a flower, a friend, a child… He can do what it takes to tell you how much He loves you and longs to share His life with you. This is just one expression of my journey. If it moves you toward Him in any way, please keep going…

My beloved child,

If you could speak all the languages of earth and of angels, but you didn’t love others, you would only be making noise. If you had the gift of prophecy, and if you could understand all my secret plans—if you understood EVERYTHING there is to know—but you didn’t have Love, you would be nothing. If you gave everything you had to the poor and even sacrificed your body, you could brag that you’d done it all, but if you didn’t love others, you would have gained nothing. Do you see that all your efforts to say the right things, know the right things and do the right things are empty? Who are you trying to impress?

I AM patient and kind. I don’t express myself the way people do: through jealousy of you or boasting about myself or snubbing you or being rude to you. I don’t make demands of you. I AM unchanging; I don’t become irritated with you or keep tabs on how many times you mess up. I AM grieved when you make choices that hurt you or respond with injustice to others, because I know that’s not who you are! I rejoice with you as you respond to the Truth and live out of that. Rest assured that I never give up on you. I never lose faith in you; I AM your hope, and I will never disappoint you. Child, that can bring you real peace if you’ll believe it!

Everything you know now will become useless, obsolete. But I AM eternal. You only understand snippets of whatever it is you think you know; that’s just a tiny “trailer” of the whole show. But when I finish revealing my work in you, you’ll recognize the face of my perfect Son in your own reflection, and nothing else will matter. So why do you worry?

When you were a child, you spoke, thought and acted like one. But as you’ve grown up, you’ve put aside those things that used to fascinate you. In the same way, realize that you’re really not seeing things clearly even yet. When you stand in my presence, you’ll understand everything just as clearly as I understand you now. Faith is for the meantime, to use until you get here. Practice trusting me, and it won’t be long until you don’t need patience and faith any more.

Three things will last forever: my faith in what my Son did for you, the hope you have that’s fulfilled in Him, and my Love. It’s who I AM. And I AM in you!

 In persistent, unfailing LOVE,

Your Father