Fatherhood/Father God

One thing that teaches me the most about the Father heart of God, is being a Father myself. So many times I hear my own thoughts bounce back at me via my 'spiritual' ears. Here are some examples:

1. I love my kids, whether they do right or wrong.

2. I wish they stopped fighting each other.

3. Often their complaints that frustrate me are echoed in the complaints I make to God.

4. Often they come to me because they want something rather than because they want to spend time with me.

These are just a few examples, but my journey as a parent has been quite the lesson in understanding more about God's Father heart for me/us. This has resulted in a number of things. It keeps me more humble as a parent when I see my relationship with God reflected in my son's or daughter's relationship with me. It is a constant reminder of God's love for me even when I mess up because of my love for my kids when they mess up. It also shows me something about prayer, when my children make requests of me, they are 'praying' to their earthly Father. They come to me with all kinds of requests and questions, some silly, some serious, but they come nonetheless because I am their Dad. They also come to me because they are scarred or need comfort and support, they call out, even at 2am, until they are answered.

However, even as an often tired, far from perfect Dad, I still respond to the best of my ability and energy. Yet, how much more does our Father in heaven respond to us? He never tires because we call on him 10 times in the night. He never grows weary of questions and never gets too angry or too frustrated and grumpy. He never overreacts. I can see his perfect parenthood better through my imperfections. I can see his perfect reactions in my own imperfect ones. Ultimately, I can understand more how he can love me, a far from perfect child of his in the way I love my own children regardless of their behaviour. Sometimes, I think he gives us our children in part, to teach us about his own parental heart towards his adopted children.

But one thing that I am also constantlty reminded of, is that while I am a far from perfect parent, God is at work in my children's lives in the way he was at work in my life growing up. He is a perfect parent to them regardless of my own imperfections. This reminds me always to not feel condemned when I mess up, but to always lift up my children to our Father in heaven in prayer and supplication.

Don't focus on the mess up, just remember to always lift up.