I must preface this entry with first saying that I have a wonderful father. He is my greatest champion and loves me fiercely. He is a father who raised me with very high expectations that I was driven to meet, while somehow at the same time making sure that I knew how great I was. Obviously, he is not perfect and has made mistakes (I’m sure he could tell more of them than I could), but I see the fruit of his and my mother’s constant love, acceptance, and challenges to be better, in the person I am today. I say all this because it impacts my view of God as a father and I understand that many of you may not have had this kind of experience with your father, which ultimately impacts your view of God as well.
As I was reading the story of The Prodigal Son (Luke 15:11-13) this morning, I had a new, personal revelation of God as my father. When I stopped and reflected on Him as my father and me as His child, I experienced a feeling of intimacy, love, and loyalty. I instantly felt defensive of Him for all the things that are spoken and done against Him. I felt a deep sense of love and belonging, and such gratefulness for my creation, provision, guidance, acceptance, the list goes on. I realized- He is my family. When the revelation of God as our personal father occurs, it not only changes the way we see Him, but the way we see ourselves as His child. You are someone’s child. You belong. You are loved. You have a father who throws the biggest, most impressive party, sparing no expense, and runs out to meet you with open arms and weeping when you decide to come to Him (or come back to Him) as His child (read Luke 15 for this illustration).
Whether you have a great family or have never experienced what it means to be part of a family. It is a life changing revelation to truly know God as your father. Our actions towards him and in response to Him become actions of love, gratefulness and pride in Him. It gives me a small glimpse of how Jesus was able to spend his time on earth fervently spreading the news about His father. It makes me want to do the same.
Spend some time today asking God to show you how He loves you as your father. How do you love Him as His child? Read Luke 15 replacing the prodigal son with yourself and God as the father.