Josh McDowell writes in his book “The Father Connection” that most men have a general idea of the kind of father they want to be and they look for the “model father” figures that matches their ideal picture of a father. They want to be the kind of fathers whose children feel secure and confident, who feel loved and accepted, save sex for marriage and remain faithful to their husbands and wives in marriage, develops a reputation as men and women of integrity- honest, ethical and hardworking.”
Who doesn’t want to be like that kind of an ideal father? I want to be like one of them and I am sure you too. Is there a perfect “father model” that we could follow? If so who could that be? My father certainly did not display any of those qualities. In the bible we see God as “The ultimate Father” When I follow the ultimate father I can become a better father for my children.
I would like to explain three aspects of our heavenly father, in understanding and applying those traits, will we discover what it is to father our children better. The three characters of God’s father’s heart: 1. The loving father 2. The forgiving father 3. The disciplining father.
I would like to explain three aspects of our heavenly father, in understanding and applying those traits, will we discover what it is to father our children better. The three characters of God’s father’s heart: 1. The loving father 2. The forgiving father 3. The disciplining father.
I. THE LOVING FATHER:
In my years of ministry I have come to realize that no matter where you are from, all of us have two most basic needs. One is the need to be loved and other one is the need to be accepted. Josh McDowell notes, “Children regardless of their age- have a deep seated need to feel significant, to feel accepted and loved. God intends for that normal, healthy need to be met first in the home, by Dad and Mom. If both parents do not satisfy that hunger for love and acceptance, the young person will seek to fill that emotional void in someone or something else, and that drive will lead to behaviors that can destroy the child or seriously cripple him or her.”
The parents who have never received love from their parents when they were children wouldn’t know how to love their children. The cycle continues, as a result many young people today are crying out for love and acceptance and they are searching for it in all the wrong places.
In my years of ministry I have come to realize that no matter where you are from, all of us have two most basic needs. One is the need to be loved and other one is the need to be accepted. Josh McDowell notes, “Children regardless of their age- have a deep seated need to feel significant, to feel accepted and loved. God intends for that normal, healthy need to be met first in the home, by Dad and Mom. If both parents do not satisfy that hunger for love and acceptance, the young person will seek to fill that emotional void in someone or something else, and that drive will lead to behaviors that can destroy the child or seriously cripple him or her.”
The parents who have never received love from their parents when they were children wouldn’t know how to love their children. The cycle continues, as a result many young people today are crying out for love and acceptance and they are searching for it in all the wrong places.
My father never told me that he loved me. But I don’t have to be like my father, because when I receive love from my heavenly father I can love my children better. Our hope is that the love and the biblical values we deposit in their lives, while they are young will see them through their teenage years and into adulthood. Only time will tell. More than any other character of God, the love of God runs like a thread throughout the pages of the Bible. In fact the love of God is the chief attribute or the essence of all other attributes. Several scriptures indicate that God is a loving father and his love endures forever.
Hosea 11:1-4 "When Israel was a child, I loved him, and out of Egypt I called my son…it was I who healed them I led them with cords of human kindness, with ties of love; I lifted the yoke from their neck and bent down to feed them.”
Jeremiah 31:3 “The LORD appeared to us in the past, saying: "I have loved you with an everlasting love; I have drawn you with loving-kindness.”
Exodus 15:13 "In your unfailing love you will lead the people you have redeemed. In your strength you will guide them to your holy dwelling.”
Psalm 100:5 “For the LORD is good and his love endures forever; his faithfulness continues through all generations.”
Jeremiah 31:3 “The LORD appeared to us in the past, saying: "I have loved you with an everlasting love; I have drawn you with loving-kindness.”
Exodus 15:13 "In your unfailing love you will lead the people you have redeemed. In your strength you will guide them to your holy dwelling.”
Psalm 100:5 “For the LORD is good and his love endures forever; his faithfulness continues through all generations.”
These scriptures clearly illustrate that God is our father and his love endures forever. How did God demonstrate His love for us? While we were still sinners God sent his son Jesus to take the punishment of sin away from us. Christ died in our place on the cross by taking our sins upon him so that you and I become free from the guilt of sin. No matter what we have done our heavenly father loves us unconditionally and completely. His love never fails. When we disobey him he may be disappointed and become sorrowful but he would never stop loving us.
Listen to what he has said of Solomon, 2 Samuel 7:14-15 “I will be his father, and he will be my son. When he does wrong, I will punish him…But my love will never be taken away from him.”
What an assurance Paul gives us? In Romans 8:38-39 “For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” A word for parents, no matter how badly our children may behave, let’s never withhold our love and affection from them; they need our love.
What an assurance Paul gives us? In Romans 8:38-39 “For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” A word for parents, no matter how badly our children may behave, let’s never withhold our love and affection from them; they need our love.
II. THE FORGIVING FATHER
Our heavenly father is not only loving but also forgiving. If there was one nation that received favor from God than any other nation it was the nation of Israel. God called Israel his own Son. God delivered the nation of Israel from their 400 years of slavery in Egypt. He led them out from a land of slavery to a land of freedom. Even after seeing all his miraculous provisions, ten times Israel rebelled against God, like a son rebels against his own Father and run’s away from home. God was dejected by the continuous rebellion of his favored people Israel.
Listen to the voice of a dejected heavenly father, Jeremiah 3:19-21 "I myself said, "'How gladly would I treat you like sons and give you a desirable land, the most beautiful inheritance of any nation.' I thought you would call me 'Father' and not turn away from following me. But like a woman unfaithful to her husband, so you have been unfaithful to me, O house of Israel," declares the LORD. A cry is heard on the barren heights, the weeping and pleading of the people of Israel, because they have perverted their ways and have forgotten the LORD their God.”
Inspite of their rebellion God forgave them, Daniel 9:9-10 “The Lord our God is merciful and forgiving, even though we have rebelled against him; we have not obeyed the LORD our God or kept the laws he gave us through his servants the prophets.”
Our heavenly father is not only loving but also forgiving. If there was one nation that received favor from God than any other nation it was the nation of Israel. God called Israel his own Son. God delivered the nation of Israel from their 400 years of slavery in Egypt. He led them out from a land of slavery to a land of freedom. Even after seeing all his miraculous provisions, ten times Israel rebelled against God, like a son rebels against his own Father and run’s away from home. God was dejected by the continuous rebellion of his favored people Israel.
Listen to the voice of a dejected heavenly father, Jeremiah 3:19-21 "I myself said, "'How gladly would I treat you like sons and give you a desirable land, the most beautiful inheritance of any nation.' I thought you would call me 'Father' and not turn away from following me. But like a woman unfaithful to her husband, so you have been unfaithful to me, O house of Israel," declares the LORD. A cry is heard on the barren heights, the weeping and pleading of the people of Israel, because they have perverted their ways and have forgotten the LORD their God.”
Inspite of their rebellion God forgave them, Daniel 9:9-10 “The Lord our God is merciful and forgiving, even though we have rebelled against him; we have not obeyed the LORD our God or kept the laws he gave us through his servants the prophets.”
Aren’t we in some ways like the children of Israel? After tasting the Lord’s goodness, receiving his healing, provision, peace, and grace we turn our backs away from him and continue to follow in our stubborn self will. We are as stubborn and stiff-necked as the sons of Israel bent on doing evil rather than what is good. Can you imagine how much your rebellion grieves the heart of your heavenly father?
Because he loves you so much he sends out the same cry that he sent out through the prophet Jeremiah saying, Jeremiah 3:22 "Return, faithless people; I will cure you of backsliding." Inspite of our rebellion when we confess to God, he is ready to forgive and give us another chance because our God is a God of second chance.
“Thomas A. Edison was working on a crazy contraption called a "light bulb" and it took a whole team of men 24 straight hours to put just one together. When Edison was finished with one light bulb, he gave it to a young boy helper, who nervously carried it up the stairs. Step by step he cautiously watched his hands, obviously frightened of dropping such a priceless piece of work. You've probably guessed what happened by now; the poor young fellow dropped the bulb at the top of the stairs. It took the entire team of men twenty-four more hours to make another bulb. Finally, tired and ready for a break, Edison was ready to have his bulb carried up the stairs. He gave it to the same young boy who dropped the first one. That's true forgiveness.”
How does true forgiveness play out in a family and in the family of God? How do we respond to those who have hurt us or betrayed our trust? How do we deal with our children when they don’t do what we tell them to do and when they grow bigger and get involved in things that you don’t approve off? Would we forgive them or would we hold resentment against them?
How does true forgiveness play out in a family and in the family of God? How do we respond to those who have hurt us or betrayed our trust? How do we deal with our children when they don’t do what we tell them to do and when they grow bigger and get involved in things that you don’t approve off? Would we forgive them or would we hold resentment against them?
Our heavenly father modeled forgiveness in his dealings with his rebellious children and expects us to imitate his heart of forgiveness. Matthew 6:14-15 “For if you forgive men when they sin against you, you’re heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins. Ephesians 4:32 - 5:1 “Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.” If am not following in my heavenly father’s footsteps I am not his child hence I would not know how to be a forgiving father to my children.
Love and forgiveness, that all sounds good, but does it mean that God never gets upset with us and disciplines us?
III. THE DISCIPLINING FATHER
Many children, including several adults would secretly wish that words like discipline and punishment never existed, so that they can do anything they want to do and no one is going to bother them right? Just imagine what the world would be like if there is no discipline and punishment? There will be chaos, confusion, disorder, and anarchy which could lead to destruction. Therefore discipline is necessary for growth and success. The legendary American football coach of the Dallas Cowboys, Tom Landry understands the need for discipline when he said, “The job of a football coach is to make men do what they don't want to do, in order to achieve what they've always wanted to be.”
Many children, including several adults would secretly wish that words like discipline and punishment never existed, so that they can do anything they want to do and no one is going to bother them right? Just imagine what the world would be like if there is no discipline and punishment? There will be chaos, confusion, disorder, and anarchy which could lead to destruction. Therefore discipline is necessary for growth and success. The legendary American football coach of the Dallas Cowboys, Tom Landry understands the need for discipline when he said, “The job of a football coach is to make men do what they don't want to do, in order to achieve what they've always wanted to be.”
The Bible talks a lot about discipline. In Hebrews 12:5-6 “And you have forgotten that word of encouragement that addresses you as sons: "My son, do not make light of the Lord's discipline, and do not lose heart when he rebukes you, because the Lord disciplines those he loves, and he punishes everyone he accepts as a son." because the Lord disciplines those he loves, and he punishes everyone he accepts as a son." When we accepted the Lord as our savior we become his children therefore be prepared for His discipline.
What is your idea of discipline? The word discipline means to teach or instruct or to train, it comes from the same root, disciple, meaning one who follows, to learn from another who is wiser. Therefore discipline is a positive word. Then why this aversion for discipline? The truth is many in our generation have not been disciplined well and also we have not learned to respond well to discipline. A.W Tozer explains why we lack discipline in our society today, “We must face the fact that many today are notoriously careless in their living. This attitude finds its way into the church. We have liberty, we have money, we live in comparative luxury. As a result, discipline practically has disappeared. What would a violin solo sound like if the strings on the musician's instrument were all hanging loose, not stretched tight, not "disciplined"? Can you imagine how unproductive our lives would be without discipline?
How does God discipline us? What does he use to discipline us? He uses hardships to discipline us, though not all hardships are necessarily from God like in the case of Job, however when we go through hardships how do we respond? Do we grow bitter, complain and get mad at God? Or do we rejoice in the fact that we are being considered as his children? Hebrews 12:7-11 “Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as sons. For what son is not disciplined by his father? If you are not disciplined (and everyone undergoes discipline), then you are illegitimate children and not true sons. “Our fathers disciplined us for a little while as they thought best; but God disciplines us for our good, that we may share in his holiness. No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it.”
This is a hard passage to work out in our lives, but it is also comforting scripture to turn to when we are hurting. Next time when you go through hardship remember perhaps God is using it to transform you more into the likeness of His Son, No matter what kind of a father you had or didn’t have, remember you have a heavenly father who is loving, forgiving and also disciplining. He is the ultimate father figure. He is also the perfect Father! How do you relate to Him? Do you submit to Him or do you resist Him? He knows what’s best for all of us. Amen
No comments:
Post a Comment
Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.