“Abba! Father!” We have all heard this expression found in (Romans 8:15) at least one time in our Christian walk. In the context of this verse, we see that it refers to the fact we have received a spirit of adoption enabling us to become sons and daughters of a very special Father – the God of all creation.
When we accepted Jesus Christ into our lives we become born again by the Spirit of God. But being born again doesn’t just mean you have a new life. It also means that you have a new Father. And this spiritual Father has a great love for His precious new babe in Christ – you!
As we examine the relationship our heavenly Father has with us, I think you will see that the parallel between this relationship and the one we have with our own physical children is most remarkable.
I believe one of the greatest ways we can bless our children is to imitate the ways that God, our heavenly Father, treats us. Every step we take on our spiritual journey with the Lord has a wonderful parallel in the world of the physical. From first step to last, a father’s love is something we can count on; with one exception – our spiritual Father’s love has no last step since it is eternal!
And speaking of first steps can you think back to when your own child took their first steps? The thing that most amazes me is that when my own daughter many years ago as a baby began to first learn to walk, she kept falling and failing. It hurt me to see her fall, but I made sure that all dangerous objects were out of her path as she tried to walk. But what is so beautiful about this learning experience is that I had to let her fall and fail before she could learn to walk. If I didn’t let her fail, she might never have learned properly to walk.
And this is exactly the way our heavenly Father relates to us. When we first come to know the Lord, we are just spiritual babies. We are quite ignorant in many spiritual areas and immature in the development of our Christian character and virtues. To help us grow, our heavenly Father begins to send various trials our way; knowing full well that we will fall and fail as we go through them. Yet He knows that this is the only way we can learn to spiritually walk and grow in grace as we learn through our failures. Just as our earthly fathers are there to pick us up when we fall so too is our heavenly Father.
As we master these initial first steps, we move on to become toddlers. It is at this stage that we begin to want to do everything that our parents may say no to and desire everything that they say is not good for us.
Many times, toddlers will pout, cry, and throw temper tantrums; demanding to get their way. We in our superior knowledge and experience must often deny these requests, because unlike our children, who have so little understanding, we know that it would be harmful for them if we gave in to their demands. And when they do disobey us, many times a harsh word or a spanking must be administered to them; not to hurt them, but because we love them!
Discipline hurts us as we see them cry but our intent is always for their benefit. We require obedience and administer punishment to help our children grow up properly. Our superior wisdom, knowledge of the harmful effects of bad decisions, and insights into the future, coupled with our disciplinary love, are some of the best gifts we can ever give our children.
And this is exactly the relationship our heavenly Father wants to share and have with us. God is all knowing, and He knows what is best for us. This is why God doesn’t answer our prayers many times because He knows it would not benefit us, though we argue otherwise. And when God disciplines us it is only to help put us back on the path to blessings.
(Hebrews 12:10) tells us: “…He disciplines us for our good, that we may share His holiness.” The chief aim of God’s discipline is restoration.
As time marches on the day finally comes when we become mature and ready to leave home and lead our own lives. Even though we may marry and move far away from our earthly parents our love for them and their love for us continues to mature as we realize love is not just a feeling, but a relationship based on trust, caring, and commitment.
Likewise, as our relationship with our heavenly Father continues to grow, we learn the true joy of commitment and that we must often deny self and take up our cross to follow Christ. We now no longer have a relationship where only God is giving to us. As we have grown to love our heavenly Father, we want to give back to Him our praises, love, and service just as our earthly desires are to bestow this same kind of warmth on our own fathers for all they have done for us.
But despite all these rich and wonderful parallels there is one area in which the comparisons must end. For although our physical fathers love us, they despite their best efforts, will fail us often because they are human. However, as we learn to trust and depend on our heavenly Father, we more and more come to the realization that He never will fail us. His love knows no boundaries and its flow never ceases. And the closer we draw to, and get to know our spiritual Father, He still wants us to draw even closer!