Memories about fathers run the gamut from awesome to horrible. My own dad was great, I had a first-rate father-in-law, and my husband is an exemplary father. The powerful truth is, God did not leave men without instruction, and Christian dads have the opportunity to reflect the Fatherhood of God.
Why Should Christian Dads Reflect Father God?
One of the most beautiful ways God expresses Himself to us is as a father. Jesus instructed His disciples to pray, “Our Father in heaven” (Matthew 6:9). In other words, as a result of the new birth, God is not just the Father, but our Father — our “Abba, Father” (Romans 8:15).
The fatherhood of God is not only a New Testament concept. While Judaism does not specifically refer to “God the Father,” the Jews used metaphors to attribute fatherly and motherly roles to Jehovah. As an example of a fatherly attribute, Moses said, “you saw how the lord your God carried you, as a father carries his son” (Deuteronomy 1:31). In the Old Testament, God maintained a covenantal father-child relationship with the Israelites (Hosea 11:1).
The concept of “Father God” helps believers keep a proper balance in relating to their Creator. He draws near to us and cares for us as a loving father; and yet He is the Almighty God, sovereign over all His creation.
Regarding human fathers, society is only beginning to comprehend how a father’s life impacts his child’s development. In today’s culture — in movies, on television, in literature, etc. — fathers are often ridiculed as absent, harsh, or bumbling fools. Because of these terrible examples, many children not only grow up with distorted views about God the Father, but also what their own dads should be like.
Children can learn how to respond to God properly when their human fathers reflect the various characteristics of Father God. Here are eight ways a Christian dad can bless and shape his children as he reflects Father God.
Photo credit: Unsplash/Jonathan Borba
