We tend to see our Heavenly Father through the lens of how we view our earthly fathers. Although I had a great daddy, he wasn’t perfect and this has steered me astray.
One of my first memories of my Dad was seeing him baptized at First Baptist Church in Ponca City. He was faithful to attend church. Every Saturday night he would sit at the kitchen table and study the Sunday School lesson he would teach to 16 year old boys the following morning. He was one of those southern deacons who would stand outside the worship center with the other men and smoke a cigarette before going into morning church. And, yes, he died of lung cancer when he was 72—the same age I am today.
Daddy was well-respected in our community. He was a man of his word and valued integrity above all else. He was the first white employer to hire a black storefront employee in our town, giving Mr. Ramsey access to the cash register while he waited on white customers in 1950-1960. Daddy worked hard and expected those around him to do the same, including me. I integrated all that into my belief systems, adding a few expectations of my own.
I knew Daddy loved me. He told me bedtime stories, holding my hand until I went to sleep. He sacrificed so I could go to college, calmly and wisely putting up with my temper and teenage shenanigans.
Daddy also had high expectations for my performance in life--a standard I eventually could not live up to. He was disappointed in me. He deserted me when he died kind of young and I transferred my Daddy image to my Abba Father.
So, here’s how I saw God until about 20 years ago: He loves me, but I have to work really hard to meet His expectations. When I fail, He is disappointed in me. God values what I do for Him. Although He is there for me, I still have to get it right.
Those were my lies, and I acted on them as if they were the truth. Oh my goodness!! Now, neither my earthly father, nor my Heavenly Father wanted me to believe those things about them. Both were only interested in loving me as I was and as am.
So, what is or was your earthly daddy like? Great? Wonderful? Awful? Angry? Absent? And how have you transferred his character and your relationship with him to your Heavenly Father?
Think about that for a minute. We so need to see God through the lens of the truth in the Bible and correct our wrong beliefs about Him.
The more we know God as He truly is, the more we will love Him. And the more we love Him, the more we will want to know Him.
Fathers Day may bring a myriad of emotions to your heart. I miss and praise God for my Daddy even today, 42 years after he went to heaven. Maybe you never knew your dad or he wasn’t really so great. Maybe you do or don’t love him dearly.
Regardless, God wants you to see your Heavenly Father both clearly and truly. When you do, your relationship with your earthly father will be better because you can let the overflow of God’s love in your heart heal any hurts that remain.
Meet the author!
Millicent has been a member of CRBC for over 40 years, worked in the Children’s Ministry almost as long, and has been married to Dave for over 50 years. She loves her grandkids, quilting, and chocolate. Yep, she’s old and loves every minute of it!