Remembering my dad, rediscovering our Father

My wife and I spent this Father’s Day with her parents. We enjoy a good relationship with them, but during the day, my mind drifted to my own dad, who died three years ago. I reflected on how his patience and loving example have shaped my life. He and my mom got married on a military weekend pass with less than $50 between them, but he went on to start multiple successful businesses.

Dad was a hard worker, content, generous, committed to family, and a husband who never quit loving my mother during their 60+ years of marriage. While he was occasionally frustrated, I never saw Dad lose his temper. He not only loved our family well, but also cared deeply for those in his community as a kind pastor for more than 50 years.

Dad was extremely comfortable in his own skin. I never saw him try to be someone he was not. Though he had no formal education after high school, he was equally relaxed among the educated and well-to-do as well as those with little education or money.

As I reflected on my dad, my mind turned to God, our Heavenly Father. God is referred to or addressed as “Father” about 245 times in the Bible. Though occasionally spoken of as Father in the Old Testament, this image of God is used most often in the New Testament, where he is called “Father” more than 225 times.

In 2 Corinthians 6:18, God is quoted saying, “I will be your Father, and you will be my sons and daughters, says the Lord Almighty.” (NLT) This concept is expanded when we read, “So you have not received a spirit that makes you fearful slaves. Instead, you received God’s Spirit when he adopted you as his own children. Now we call him, ‘Abba, Father.’ For his Spirit joins with our spirit to affirm that we are God’s children.” (Romans 8:15-16, NLT) The Arabic word “Abba” is very intimate, meaning “Daddy” or “Papa.” This means a lot to me since my grandchildren call me “Papa.” My wife recently bought me a T-shirt which reads, “Being a Grandpa is an honor; Being a Papa is Priceless.”

I especially love how the concept of our intimate relationship with God is captured in this paraphrased introduction to the Lord’s Prayer, “This is your Father you are dealing with, and he knows better than you what you need. With a God like this loving you, you can pray very simply. Like this: Our Father in heaven…” (Matthew 6:8-9, MSG)

Not everyone has been blessed with a great relationship with their father, but I am grateful that each of us has a Heavenly Father who loves us perfectly. Knowing he wants us to relate to him as sons and daughters should dramatically change how we see God and help us understand his perfect love for us.