That's Just Good Parenting!

I wrote not that long ago about how sometimes in guiding my kids, if they ignored my advice I would just let them struggle doing it their way.  As an example, if they were doing a car repair I might see that they forgot to put a part back in.  If they didn't want to listen I would let them put the whole thing back together  and then have to tear it all back apart again to put in the missing part.

I never realized that was Biblical.

Take a look at this.

1 Samuel 8:4-9(NKJV)

4Then all the elders of Israel gathered together and came to Samuel at Ramah, 

5and said to him, “Look, you are old, and your sons do not walk in your ways. Now make us a king to judge us like all the nations.”

6But the thing displeased Samuel when they said, “Give us a king to judge us.” So Samuel prayed to the Lord. 

7And the Lord said to Samuel, “Heed the voice of the people in all that they say to you; for they have not rejected you, but they have rejected Me, that I should not reign over them. 

8According to all the works which they have done since the day that I brought them up out of Egypt, even to this day—with which they have forsaken Me and served other gods—so they are doing to you also. 

9Now therefore, heed their voice. However, you shall solemnly forewarn them, and show them the behavior of the king who will reign over them.”

1 Samuel 8:19-22(NKJV)

19Nevertheless the people refused to obey the voice of Samuel; and they said, “No, but we will have a king over us, 

20that we also may be like all the nations, and that our king may judge us and go out before us and fight our battles.”

21And Samuel heard all the words of the people, and he repeated them in the hearing of the Lord. 

22So the Lord said to Samuel, “Heed their voice, and make them a king.” And Samuel said to the men of Israel, “Every man go to his city.”

What lesson can we learn from this?  That God is a good parent.  He wants nothing more than to help us and guide us.  To lead us in a very satisfying life.  We all have to learn life lessons and God is willing to teach them to us if we will listen.

But God also gives us free will.  God is perfectly willing to let us go out and learn things the hard way if that is what we choose.  The key to understand here is that it is a choice and it is always our choice.  And if we chose to do it our way then God will let us do it our way but He will also let us pay the consequences of our choices.  Sounds fair to me!