The most important thing in life

What is the most important thing in your life? What comes to mind when we think about God is the most important thing in our life. The most revealing thing about the church is always its conception of God. What we think and believe about God affects the way we live, how we maintain our relationships, conduct our businesses, and what we do with our money and resources. It affects governments and churches. Unfortunately, many decisions and actions taken by most institutions today ignore God. What comes to your mind when you think of God? Is he an aloof being or an angry judge, a jury bent only on the sentence being carried out? A good, helpless god whose hands are tied and who just wants us all to get along? Or a loving, dedicated father who is active in the lives of believers. Or a brother who gave his life for every human being, so that all may enjoy eternity in peace? Or a divine Comforter who gently and lovingly guides, teaches, and supports all who are in need. In the three brief sections that follow, we consider who God is in all His triune glory.

God the Father

Many things come to mind when you hear the word “Father”. Experiences we have had with our own father or other fathers can have a great influence on how we judge God. Human fathers can range anywhere from awful to wonderful, fully engaged to totally absent, and everything in between. Unfortunately, we often project their characteristics onto God.
Jesus knew his father better than anyone. He told his audience, which included tax collectors and Pharisees, a story to illustrate what it was like to be in God's kingdom and how his Father dealt with people. You know the story under the title Parable of the Prodigal Son, but perhaps it should be called Parable of a Father's Love. In this parable in Luke 15, we tend to be particularly indignant at the younger son's bad behavior. Likewise, the older brother's reaction may dismay us. Don't we often recognize ourselves in the behavior of our two sons? On the other hand, when we look at the actions of the father, we get a good picture of God that shows us what a father should be like.

First we see the father giving in to the demands of his youngest son, who is practically anticipating his death and demanding the quick return of his inheritance. The father seems to agree without objection or disapproval. His son squanders the portion of the inheritance he has received abroad, which puts him in dire need. He thinks about it and makes his way home. His condition is really pathetic. When his father sees him coming from afar, he can't contain himself, runs towards him with full compassion and takes him in his outstretched arms. He barely lets his son make his rehearsed apology. He immediately instructs his servants to clothe his son in new clothes and even to put on jewelry and to prepare a feast. When his eldest son was near the house from the field, he asks him to join the feast to celebrate together that his brother who was dead has come to life, who was lost and is found.

A more beautiful picture of fatherly love has never been painted. We are indeed like the brothers in this parable, sometimes more one or the other or both at the same time, but most importantly, God our Father is full of love and has the utmost compassion for us even when we are completely wrong. Being hugged by him, forgiven and even celebrated sounds almost too good to be true. No matter what we screw up in this life, we can be sure that God is a Father like no other and will always welcome us. He is our home, our refuge, he is the one who showers and bestows upon us unconditional love, infinite grace, deep compassion and unimaginable mercy.

god the son

I believed in God for many years before I met Jesus. I had a vague idea who he was, but almost everything I thought I knew at the time was wrong. I have a much better understanding now, but I'm still learning. One of the most important things I learned about him is that not only is he the Son of God, but he is also God. He is the Word, the Creator, the Lion, the Lamb and the Lord of the universe. He is far more than that.

I learned one more thing about him that strikes me every time I think about it—his humility. When he knelt down at the last supper to wash his disciples' feet, he wasn't just giving us an example of how we should treat others. He showed us how he thinks about us and how he treats us. That also applies to us today. Jesus in human form, kneeling on the ground, ready to wash the dusty feet of his friends: «He, who was equal in all things to God and on a level with him, did not use his power for his own benefit. On the contrary: he renounced all his privileges and placed himself on the same level as a servant. He became one of us - a man like other men. But he humbled himself even more: in obedience to God he even accepted death; he died on the cross like a criminal" (Philippians 2,6-8).
A short time later he died on the cross to cleanse our lives of the filth of fallen human nature. We still walk through the mud and filth of this life and get dirty.

At first I want to protest vehemently like Peter, but then I burst into tears when I imagine him kneeling on the floor in front of me with a bowl of water and a towel and looking into my eyes, how he is cleaning me, forgive me and love me again and again. This is Jesus, God the Son, who descended from heaven to come to us in our deepest need - to accept, forgive, cleanse, love and bring us into the circle of life with Him, the Father and the to receive the Holy Spirit.

God the Holy Spirit

The Holy Spirit is probably the most misunderstood member of the Trinity. I used to believe that he was not God but an extension of God's power, making him an "it". As I began to learn more about the nature of God as a Trinity, my eyes were opened to this mysterious third differentiation of God. He is still a mystery, but in the New Testament we are given many clues as to his nature and identity that are worth studying.

I wondered who he is for me personally in my life. Our relationship with God implies that we also have a relationship with the Holy Spirit. Most of the time he points us to the truth, to Jesus and that's a good thing because he is our Lord and Savior. The Holy Spirit is the one that keeps me focused on Jesus - taking first place in my heart. He keeps my conscience awake and lets me know when I'm doing or saying something that's wrong. He is the light on my life path. I've also started to think of him as my "ghostwriter" (that's a person who writes for someone else but isn't credited as the author), my inspiration, and my muse. He doesn't need special attention. When praying to one member of the Trinity, one prays to all three equally, for they are one. The Holy Spirit would only turn to the Father to give Him all the honor and attention we give Him.

We learn from Ephesians that we receive the gift of the Holy Spirit: “In him [Jesus] you also, after hearing the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believing, were sealed with the Holy Spirit of the promise, which is the pledge of our inheritance, for the redemption of his possession, for the praise of his glory" (Ephesians 1,13-14).
He is the third person of the Trinity to be present at creation. He completes the divine communion and he is a blessing to us. Most gifts lose their luster or are soon given up for something better, it is a gift that never ceases to be a blessing. He is the one whom Jesus sent after his death to comfort, teach and guide us: «But the Comforter, the Holy Spirit, whom my Father will send in my name, he will teach you everything and teach you everything remember what I said to you" (John 14,26). How wonderful to receive such a gift. May we never lose our wonder and awe at our blessings through him.

Finally, the question again: What comes to your mind when you think of God? Have you realized that God is your loving, committed Father who is also active in your life. Is Jesus your brother who gave his life for you and for all those around you, so that you and everyone else can enjoy eternity in peace with him? Is the Holy Ghost your divine Comforter, gently and lovingly guiding, teaching, and sustaining you? God loves you - love him too. He is the most important thing in your life!

by Tammy Tkach

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