I WANT YOU to look back into your past and see if your relationship with God, or idea of God... has been hindered in any way because of a failure or absence of tender loving care from one or both of your parents.

The Six Areas of Misconception are:

1. PARENTAL AUTHORITY ...
2. PARENTAL FAITHFULNESS ...
3. PARENTAL GENEROSITY ...
4. PARENTAL AFFECTION ...
5. PARENTAL ATTENTIVENESS ...
6. PARENTAL ACCEPTANCE ...

1. PARENTAL AUTHORITY . . . .

HAVE YOU EVER TURNED into a driveway of a friend's house to be greeted by the family dog? This mutt will either cower away from you, trembling with fear... or leap upon you with an unwanted display of affection... demonstrated with his tongue, tail, and dirty paws. The browbeaten puppy, that cannot be induced to trust you, has obviously been mistreated. The excited dog attempting to give you a facial with his tongue has obviously come from a loving home.

SO IT IS WHEN GOD APPROACHES MAN. Our past experiences dictate our response when God reaches out to us. A weeping prophet named Hosea heard the voice of God saying

"WHEN ISRAEL WAS A CHILD I LOVED HIM, AND OUT OF EGYPT I CALLED MY SON. BUT THE MORE I CALLED ISRAEL, THE FURTHER THEY WENT FROM ME. THEY SACRIFICED TO THE BAALS AND THEY BURNED INCENSE TO IMAGES. IT WAS I WHO TAUGHT EPHRAIM TO WALK... TAKING THEM BY THE ARMS... BUT THEY DID NOT REALIZE IT WAS I WHO HEALED THEM. I LED THEM WITH CORDS OF HUMAN KINDNESS, WITH TIES OF LOVE. I LIFTED THE YOKE FROM THEIR NECK AND BENT DOWN TO FEED THEM" (Hosea 11:1-4).

GOD'S AUTHORITY IS NOT HARSH... and vindictive... but to the contrary. He is unspeakably gentle... and longsuffering.

WE SHARE THIS STORY FROM A GODLY MAN... "The other day I rushed into my den urgently needing some information from my files. As I sorted frantically through my papers, my five-year-old son repeatedly blew his shrill tin whistle. I told him again and again to stop.

There was a period of silence followed by a deafening blast right next to my ear... including a spray of saliva. I reached around, swatted him with the back of my hand... and bellowed at him in anger. Immediately I felt the Spirit of God had been grieved. I remembered the Biblical statement that God is slow to anger... and delights to be merciful. I took my son in my arms and asked him to forgive me. It was only right that I should correct his disobedience, but our children should always know that we discipline them because we love them... and not because we are angry... and have lost our temper."