For the majority of us, our relationship with our earthly fathers has shaped our perception and attitudes toward our heavenly Father. If your dad was absent, disappointed in you, or punished you, you associate the same attributes with God. Conversely, if your earthly father was present and loving, you see God the same.
Because many of us have issues with our earthly fathers, we tend to think God is the same. As such, many of us struggle to accept and see God as the perfect, good Father. And we struggle to accept His love and every good gift He brings us.
In Matthew 7:9–11, the Bible gives us the definition of God as the perfect, good Father. It says that if our earthly fathers, even in their evil nature, know how to give good gifts to their children, how much more God who is perfect.
This tells me that even the best of earthly fathers still fall short because no human being is perfect. But God, being perfect in all of His ways, will never fail or fall short. God is the epitome of Fatherhood. For those with daddy wounds, let Jesus heal your wounds. For those with absent fathers, God is your Father. And for those whose fathers are long gone, God is the father to the fatherless. And if you’re aspiring to be a father one day, God is the perfect example.
In whatever capacity you’re lacking a father, God is your Father.
God is a good, perfect Father because it’s who He is, it’s His nature. As a Father, He is a good listener. As His beloved child, you can go to Him at any time with anything and everything and He will listen. Even when you mess, don’t run away from Him thinking He wants nothing to do with you. He should be the first person you go to especially when you mess.
As a loving Father, He will rebuke and correct you. But unlike our earthly fathers, His correction is done with love, grace, and mercy. And yes, we will face and deal with the consequences of our choices, but it doesn’t mean that God isn’t loving or punishing you. Besides, we don’t get mad when our earthly fathers rebuke us. So, why do we get mad when God does?
God is love, everything He does is centered on love. God the Father will outdo Himself in doing the best for you. What more proof do you need about Him being the perfect Father?
Before you even say a word, He knows what you need. Before you chose Him, He chose you first. He loved you first before you knew Him. To me, that’s all I need and could ask for in a father. And God is all these and so much more.
Prayer
Lord, I’m forever grateful that you’re my Father. Thank you for being the perfect definition of fatherhood. Thank you for your undeniable, unstoppable, and unconditional love. Help us to accept that you’re not like our earthly fathers. Help us see that you’re perfect in all of your ways. Help us to receive and accept the whole of you, not parts of you.
Amen.
