Our Father

Almost two years ago I became a dad, and it has changed how I view my relationship with God completely. Sure, I understood rationally that God is my Father, but I had no concept of it experientially. I am blessed to have a great human dad, but there are still some things that are only understood through personal experience. It has been a thrilling and challenging journey to say the least.

Near the beginning of this journey my wife had a work trip to go on, and Jude and I joined her for it. He was having a very rough night sleeping (as I’m sure every dad knows is not out of the ordinary). I would get him to sleep but as soon as I laid him down he would wake back up and begin to cry. This happened several times until I began to get frustrated. Then, seemingly out of nowhere, I felt the Lord impress something on me. It was that familiar voice that speaks when you have reached the end of your rope, and you become just quiet enough to actually listen.

“Just hold him,” I heard the voice say. What a novel concept! I held him for a bit longer this time, until I was sure we were in the clear, and sure enough he slept the rest of the night. I learned something that night about God that I hope I never forget. You see, that’s how God is. Things happen in life that throw us off. And yet somehow, during those times and at the worst times of our lives, God just holds us. No, he doesn’t physically come down and pick you up (although that would be really cool!). Instead, his presence fills our hearts and minds in those times, and somehow, some way we are able to move forward.

I have lived a very good life, and I know that there are some reading this blog who have lived lives that have been far more painful. But I have learned in my life that God is there through it all, and if you are just quiet enough to listen you can hear him reassuring and helping you. He is the dad who is there to pick you up when you fall, and is also the one cheering the loudest when you do something great. He is always present, and always reliable when life gets the toughest.

Don’t believe me? Well, it’s a good thing that I have scripture to back up what I am saying. The gospels are full of Jesus describing God as a wise, loving and benevolent Father. On several occasions, Jesus told his disciples to refer to God as their Father, and then he described what that looked like in the Sermon on the Mount. “If your Heavenly Father cares about the lilies of the field and the birds of the air,” Jesus says, “then you can trust that he cares about you too.” Questioning God’s provision for your life is similar to calling him a bad Father.

Beyond even that, Jesus referred to God as “Abba, Father” and certainly would have instructed his followers to do the same. The word “Abba” is a term of endearment similar to our “daddy” or “papa”. It is very clear that his view of God did NOT involve some detached relationship where we follow a list of rules lest we incur the wrath of a vengeful God. In fact, this was the entire problem he had with the Pharisees’ view of God. In their minds, God was the strict Father who could find fault at any moment. In Jesus’ mind, God was the loving Father who always had the best interest of his children in mind. It’s no wonder that their worldviews clashed so forcefully.

I understand that there are some reading this blog who have not had the best experience with a dad. Maybe he was never present, or maybe he abused you. Maybe my description of a loving Father is completely lost on you because you grew up in a religious environment where the God who was manifested resembled more of the Pharisees’ view than Jesus’ view. And for that, I am sorry. I really am. I want to apologize on behalf of all of those who have misunderstood and misrepresented the God of the Bible.

But that’s the whole point of this blog. I want you, through all of the hurt and pain, to grasp Our Father in heaven is the greatest dad you will ever know. He believes in you and loves you more than any human dad ever will. I try my best to make sure that my son, even as young as he is, understands that I love him deeply. I want him to know beyond a shadow of a doubt that there is nothing beneficial that I would ever withhold from him. I want to be the very best dad I can be.

However, I also want my son to know that when I fail, and I will certainly fail, that there is a dad who never fails. His Heavenly Father will always be there for him, even when I am not able to be. My wife and I have a tradition of praying for our son every night before bed. It is our way of teaching him at a very young age that God is always there, and he is always listening. We want him to view God as his Father too.