There are a lot of variations of fathers in this world. Our broken, sin-filled world sure has distorted what a father should be. We see where some people never knew their father, to those with a God-centered father who works hard to be the way God designed it. So, fitting for Father’s Day and such a topic, let’s take a look at The Father.
The Earthly Father
Today I am not going to focus on all the short-comings of a father. As a father, we’ve all missed to one degree or another. As they say, no one is perfect. I think we should reverse the process. Become fathers when we are old and wise, and as our kids get older we get younger, haha!
As young(er) fathers we have a lot to learn. With all aspects of our lives, it’s a journey. As we move along the idea is to become better at life, and fatherhood.
Learning To Be A Father
Fortunately, I had a mentor who took me under his wing when I was at the age of 29. I had just had my first kid and there was a lot going on in my life. But I had never had a positive role model when it came to fatherhood. My mentor had his hands full in teaching me what it was to be a Godly man and a Godly father…husband, son, and much more.
Focus on the Family has many great resources on fatherhood and more.
I want to highlight here that I missed it greatly with my four kids. As hard as I tried, there was so much I had to learn. Probably one of the most significant things I experienced was regret. Regret that I hadn’t been the father I should have been.
A Letter To My Kids
From a marriage retreat I attended, God dropped in my heart to apply something I learned there to my kids. For more on this, take a look at this post I did several years ago – you might want to use it – A Letter To My Kids. I also did a follow-up with A Letter From My Kids.
The Good News
Though the fathers of this world are not perfect, we have a heavenly Father who is perfect. Let me take the rest of this post to draw some parallels. The concept of a father as a parallel to God the Father is rich in the spiritual, symbolic, and emotional dimensions of our lives. Here are some key parallels we can draw:
1. Provider
- Earthly Father: A father typically provides for the physical, emotional, and financial needs of his children, ensuring they have food, shelter, and education.
- God the Father: God is seen as the ultimate provider, giving life, sustenance, and provision to His children. He provides for spiritual needs as a foundation and ensures our well-being.
2. Protector
- Earthly Father: A father protects his children from harm, offering safety and security. He defends them from dangers and supports them through challenges.
- God the Father: God is the ultimate protector, shielding His people from spiritual and physical harm. He offers refuge and strength in times of trouble, which seems often.
3. Guide and Teacher
- Earthly Father: Fathers guide their children, teaching them moral values, life skills, and wisdom. They help shape their children’s character and decisions.
- God the Father: God is the ultimate teacher, imparting divine wisdom through His word, sending a helper in Holy Spirit. He guides us in the steps we should take.
4. Loving and Compassionate
- Earthly Father: A loving father shows affection, compassion, and forgiveness. He nurtures a deep emotional bond with his children.
- God the Father: God’s love is unconditional and infinite. He is compassionate, forgiving sins with great grace and mercy. There are no strings attached.
5. Authority and Discipline
- Earthly Father: Fathers often hold a position of authority within the family. They set rules and enforce discipline to teach responsibility and consequences.
- God the Father: God is the ultimate authority, establishing moral laws and principles for our best interest. He disciplines out of love, aiming to correct and guide us.
6. Sacrificial Love
- Earthly Father: A father often sacrifices his own needs and desires for the well-being and happiness of his children.
- God the Father: The ultimate expression of sacrificial love is seen in God sacrificing His Son, Jesus Christ, for all to experience the fullness of life eternal. See And So Eternal Life Begins for more on this.
7. Presence and Relationship
- Earthly Father: The presence of a father in a child’s life is crucial for emotional and psychological development. The relationship can deeply influence a child’s identity and self-worth. I’ve seen this firsthand in many small groups I have led, especially with the daughters.
- God the Father: He desires, more than anything, to have a personal relationship with us. We can experience His presence at every step of our everyday lives. He gives us purpose. Check out What Is Your Purpose In Life for more on this.
8. Legacy and Inheritance
- Earthly Father: Fathers often pass on a legacy, whether material, spiritual, or ethical, to their children. They provide an inheritance to support their children’s future, or at least most hope to do this.
- God the Father: God promises an eternal inheritance to His children—eternal life, starting here and now, and after this life. We are heirs to God’s promises.
These parallels highlight the deep and multifaceted ways in which the role of a father can reflect the characteristics of God the Father, emphasizing the importance of fatherhood in earthly and spiritual contexts.
Trust Can Be Rebuilt
I get it when it’s hard to trust God when your earthly father was not all they should have been. But we’ve all missed it, Fathers or not. Trust takes time to build, even in God. This is because we’ve all been hurt to various degrees. But maybe it’s time, if you haven’t already, to give your (earthly) father/Father (heavenly) a chance. I’m not sure if you feel that’s possible with your earthly father. But I have no doubt you can take a chance on your heavenly Father.
Experience your Heavenly Father through this song by Chris Tomlin. Please take the time to listen…
Challenge of the Week
Are you a good, good father? What has to change for you to be a better father? Are you in a supporting role as a child, partner, or wife? How can you support the father to become a better father? Answer these questions this week and set a plan in motion to begin your journey as a good, good father…and follower of Christ. So be it!
