It’s a shame when people fail to see God as Jesus so often described Him – as a Father. I am convinced this might be the most useful lens with which to view our Creator. And not just as some type of a father, either, but as the perfect standard that we imperfectly imitate as flawed men. Yet for some, that lens is cracked and damaged.
The struggle is real for those raised in a broken home. The truth is that some people carry a great deal of scar tissue from their experience with this relationship; anger and bitterness make for sturdy obstacles, whatever the source may be. The best-case scenario might actually be having no frame of reference at all, but how do you convey God’s endless love to someone who can’t recall being hugged by their father as a child? When we change this perspective, though, we gain a deeper understanding and appreciation for God and His Word.
Everything changes.
Commandments, for example, start to look a lot like leadership. Like the wisdom of someone whose priority is the building of good, healthy human beings and not the gratification of their every desire. Punishment becomes accountability, and stands out as just and appropriate rather than harsh and cruel. Obedience starts to seem like a very good idea. When I hear someone rail against the cruelty of God, I wonder if their father was present—or stable. When someone seeks a Savior that brings hugs and not many requirements, I wonder if their father led.
In a similar vein, God’s willingness to accept suffering in this world can be seen in the way an earthly father prepares their child for the future. No one sees cruelty in a man who desires for his children to understand the world rather than float through it in a bubble of comfort. What reasonable person thinks taking away a child’s ability to make mistakes and deal with consequences, to feel pain and even to suffer at times, is a good long-term solution? Suffering produces character. Compassion is built through hardship. Hardship, then, begins to look like the wisdom of a father who understands that this too shall pass. Who truly wants the best for His children, and is willing to sacrifice short term comfort to get them there.
How, then, can we shake our fists at a God that has eternity in mind?
The other side of the coin is just as important. What good father is unwilling to run to the child who, having discovered their limits and made a mess of things, calls out for help? I would venture to say they are not only willing, but eager. In the same way, your Father in Heaven wants to help you sort through the mistakes you’ve made. To make them right where you can, and to learn from them when you can’t.
Let’s go deeper: God is also the Father of humanity.
Read that again. It will probably seem strange to you if you’re an American. We are selfish and individualistic by our very nature, for reasons far beyond our control. We are, each of us, the main character of our own Netflix series. Yet to so much of the world, and certainly to the Jews who penned our Scriptures, humanity as a corporate entity is a much more reasonable concept. I suggest that it will help you very much in your study of the Word to try and meet them there. There are many implications to that, and I will leave them to you to sort through.
With all of this in mind, is there any question of where efforts to destroy this fundamental idea are coming from? I cannot help but think that the adversary celebrates every family divided, every father forgotten, and every opportunity destroyed. He revels in every single effort made to undermine the picture we should be seeing all around us: of Christian men, demonstrating in some small measure the quality of God.
If this is you, embrace it. Be a father. Be a Godly father. Lead your family not also in spiritual matters, but first in spiritual matters. And look, none of us are perfect. We all mess this up. If you’ve read my testimony, you know that I spent years and years getting this wrong. This is to my shame. If you have made mistakes, today is the day to start over. That begins with repentance and a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. If you aren’t already, get plugged into a church and find good, Christian men to surround yourself with. The results will speak for themselves. Trust me.
I will close with this. One of the most important things we can do as men is make sure no one ever struggles to understand God because of our example. The results might be disastrous; if they cannot understand our Heavenly Father, they will never understand the Son he sent to save us.
