Day 120: Guidance

"But he said to him, 'If they do not hear Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded though one rise from the dead.'"  Luke 16:31

This is something that relates to parenting.

Jesus reprimands those who are listening to him, for he wants them all to become followers by word and deed.  Yet, he knew that there would be some who wouldn't listen or take his words to heart.  In the same way, I see that this is the role of a good parent.

Growing up, and even to this day, my mom disciplines me whenever I do not listen.  I don't like it many times, but after I get over the shock, I realize that she only wants the best for me.  She wants me to grow and to live a fulfilling life.  I see that Jesus was the same.  If we as children don't learn how to listen to our parents, then how will we listen to anybody else around us?  How will we listen to others who don't provide us with food, nor converse with us, let alone even know our name?

To take these questions even further, how will we know what to listen for in the end times?  How will we know what direction to walk in?  We are very fortunate to have something as concrete as the bible.  In the bible we have many different stories telling us how to live a good life.  We have advice readily available to us.  And, above all, we have the Gospel of love being relayed to us throughout many lives, particularly that of Jesus, the ultimate sign of love.

I know that I have been blessed with a parent who shows me unconditional love and who leads me to God.  However, I do know that others are not blessed in that exact same way, sometimes even lacking a parental figure entirely.  The good news, though, is that we have the parental words of Jesus ready for us to receive.  Sometimes they are fatherly, and other times they are motherly.  We need to listen to these words and take them to heart, for Jesus wants us to come back home, and we will only be able to do that if we grow up at home.