Let us imagine that the only child of a famous surgeon becomes seriously ill. After examination, he concludes that his son has a severe heart condition and urgently needs surgery. The child, not understanding the gravity of the situation, refuses to hear anything about an operation.
What should the father do? Should he give in to the child’s resistance? Should he act only according to the child’s feelings? There is only one solution: surgery.
At this critical point, the father makes his decision and operates on his child. This would truly be a unique situation. Imagine how carefully the surgeon would perform the operation on his own child. All his paternal love would be fully engaged. The operation itself becomes an expression of love. He acts not only as a doctor but also as a father.
We do not accuse a father who acts for the good of his child. Why are parents sometimes strict with their children? Why do they correct or even discipline them when they misbehave? If the surgeon refused to operate, we would rightly call him irresponsible, even a murderer.
This is how our Heavenly Father acts. He examines us and sees that we are in need of spiritual “surgery,” sometimes through the “scalpel” of sorrow. He knows that we often resist correction and reject anything that causes pain.
What does God do then? Does He abandon us to our own desires? If He did, evil would grow unchecked, and we would be lost.
Therefore, just as we do not accuse a surgeon of harming his child, we should not accuse our Heavenly Father of causing us harm when He allows trials in our lives. The surgeon acts out of love; so does God, who “disciplines” us for our good (Proverbs 3:12).
Had the surgeon refused to operate, he would not be considered a loving father. In the same way, if our Heavenly Father did not correct us, He would not truly love us. His love is precisely the reason behind the trials we experience.
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