How God Teaches Us

The root problem of the human condition is not sex; it’s selfishness. Where do we learn to overcome selfishness? From our parents.

God creates us as parents create a child—and God us as parents a child. Proverbs says that “…the Lord disciplines those he loves, as a father the son he delights in,” and God said through Isaiah, “As one whom his mother comforts, so I will comfort you.”

In God’s plan, parents represent God, and a child’s relationship with his or her parents is the model for their relationship with God. And so the Messiah stands in the position of parents. In True Father’s words, “The teachings of the Old and New Testaments tell us that the Messiah comes with the authority of the Father to meet the person in the position of God the Mother, who is the substantial form of the Holy Spirit.”

This is why Jesus said, “Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven,” and why Paul said, “Be imitators of God.” Children learn by imitation.

Some of a child’s imitation is by nature’s design. A child learns how to walk by nature’s design. There is but one way to walk. It is built into the body by nature. Parents celebrate their child learning to walk. Why? Because they are witnessing the child growing into the image of their parents.

Parents celebrate their child learning to talk. Uttering sounds, like walking, is natural. But the words are cultural. The child does not make up a new language. Spontaneously the child imitates the parents, repeats the parents’ words. The first words usually recognize parents. Not their names, but their — and . Around the same time, the child learns and .

So the first things children learn are male and female, good and bad, and that growing is good. The child is cognizing the presence of God and their own freedom and responsibility. Just by being natural, parents are teaching and children are learning these things.

The amazing thing is, all parents want their children to be selfless.

But children imitate.

(References: Gen 1:27; p. 1440-1; Mt 18:3, cf. 19:4; Mt 7:11; Prov 3:11-12; Isa 66:13; Eph 5:1.)