Abba

 For those who are led by the Spirit of God are the children of God. The Spirit you received does not make you slaves, so that you live in fear again; rather, the Spirit you received brought about your adoption to sonship. And by him we cry, “Abba, Father.” The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children. Now if we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory. (Romans 8:14-17) 

I have heard it suggested that if God were a good God, and an all-powerful God, that He could and should make it so that no evil could be done. One of the ideas behind this claim is the belief that man is good – or would be good if external forces didn’t make it necessary to be evil. In my experience, people do evil for reasons that have nothing to do with external pressures. Two people could face the same temptation – the same external pressures – and one do evil while the other does good.  Change the external pressure, and the one would do good while the other does evil. It goes back to the old warning – “Don’t join a perfect church. You’ll ruin it.” And we all think that we’re the exception to that rule.

          They insist that God could have – and should have – done that. It would have involved one of two options (as I see it.) He could have made us into robots or dolls instead of people. We would and could do nothing unless He specifically caused us to do it. Or, He could put us into the equivalent of the Matrix, in which we could do everything we wished because it would be all in our minds. But, at the same time, He couldn’t do either of those things, because if He did those things, He would not be who He is.

          I have an agnostic friend who was quite disappointed when I pointed out that after a lifetime of not drinking, not swearing, and not doing all those other things, if I turned away from God, I would still not do them. Rejecting God would not make alcohol taste better and I see no reason to use foul language – my own language is far more interesting.

          But what those who suggest that God should have made things according to their idea are not seeing God as He is presented in this passage – as the Father we would call “Daddy” (the meaning of Abba) or Father. Such a parent as they desire would not be a good parent at all. He would certainly not be the sort of Father that one could approach with a problem, a need, or a desire. He could not be the sort of Father who could find anything of value in His children as people, nor could He have hope for them.

          I struggle with the Abba, Daddy idea – I’ll admit. It doesn’t seem respectful to me, and as a result, part of me says that it’s disrespectful, not loving or familial. I know my thinking is wrong here, and that’s part of the reason I’m looking at the verse today. And  I find comfort that we have an alternative. We don’t have to call Him, “Abba” or “Daddy.” We can call Him, “Father.”