21 Days of Deep LivingSample

Fatherly Love

I have often heard it said that we relate to God in the same way as our Earthly fathers or the authority figures in our lives.

Our Earthly fathers are human and imperfect and at their best fall short in so many ways. Even when doing their best, fathers can pass on habits, prejudice, and harmful ideas to their children. Many of us had to endure abuse, addiction, abandonment, and sometimes more than one of these issues from our fathers. These negative experiences become a part of our lives and we find ourselves projecting them onto God.

The Bible says in Matthew 7:9-11 Or which one of you, if his son asks him for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a serpent? If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask him!’ God is not just Good but Perfect (Psalm 18:30) and not to be compared with our Earthly fathers. Easier said than done, the key is in getting to know God's Character and understanding that His thoughts and plans toward us are always good.

Isn’t it amazing that the Creator of all things calls Himself Our Father? What a wonderful truth! Unlike our Earthly fathers, we can count on God to provide our every need, to forgive us and welcome us with open arms when we repent, protect us from harm and even discipline us when we do wrong.

The best part is God will never abandon us, no matter how difficult things may be, or how far away from His Will we may have strayed. He remains faithful and is constantly waiting for us to return (Luke 15: 11-32).

Having God as a Father is also about intimacy, surrender, obedience, growth, and more. Jesus models the Perfect Example of a relationship with Our Father God in His intimacy (John 10:30) and constant communion with God, obedience and surrender to God’s Will even to the Cross (Mark 14:36). If we call God our Father, we should also be willing to submit to His Will and Plan for our lives knowing that He is transforming us into the best version of ourselves. The invitation to relate to Our Heavenly Father is open to all through the belief in Jesus Christ who reconciles us to the Father.

Let us all strive for a deeper understanding of who God is and to know Him more as Father, a Perfect Father. He is not a man who lies. He is always faithful even when we are not and there is nothing in the world that can separate us from the Love of the Father.