“’I will be a Father to you, and you will be my sons and daughters’, says the Lord Almighty.”
(II Corinthians 6:18)
Honestly, I never had really celebrated Father’s Day until I began attending and serving in local churches. Since my earthly father was not present in my life very much, I didn’t understand the importance of celebrating Father’s Day. As I’ve gotten older, I realize that this area of my life was affected greatly. I did not appreciate the role that fathers have in families and society. Unfortunately, our present culture is suffering from the same problem.
Many who have experienced my situation or have been abused by their fathers have disregarded the role of fatherhood. I do not feel that way. As a believer in Christ at the age of 13, God became my Father. For some reason, I never blamed God nor did I heap all of my negative feelings on Him. I understood that there was a difference between my earthly father and my heavenly Father. I’d like to share some of those distinctions with you.
First of all, “God so loved the world”. No matter how much I didn’t feel my earthly father’s love for me, I knew with all my being that God loved me. I can’t explain it. I can’t show it to you. Maybe, I can’t physically prove it, but I know that God loves me. It’s obvious that He loves me through the sending of His Son, Jesus, to die for my sins and giving me a new and abundant life. However, God the Father loves me for who I am and expects me to live for Him. It is not enough that He loves me for who I am, but He wants the best life for me.
Next, God saw me when I was a long way off, was filled with compassion for me, ran to me, and restored me. God sought me out. It’s great to know that our heavenly Father comes looking for us. Jesus said of Himself, “I have come to seek and to save that which was lost”. I was in that condition. I was abandoned by me earthly father, and yet, God ran to me and restored me. He had compassion for me. He saw my condition and did not hesitate to find me. WOW! That was different.
I could say more, but I’ll end with this distinction. God took away my worries about my needs. My father’s absence caused our family to suffer economically, physically, and psychologically. It took me years to forgive my earthly father for his actions, but God the Father showed me that by “seeking first His Kingdom and His righteousness” that all the needs of my life would be met. God was and is faithful. He has been my Father when I was fatherless.
During this Father’s Day season, if your earthly father has been a failure or is not all you need him to be, remember that God the Father is trustworthy, dependable, and faithful to be your Father because we are his Children.
Until next month,
Bro. Lyle