The Best Father in the World

The concept of God being my Heavenly Father has been one of the most difficult Biblical concepts for me to grasp.  It has literally taken me decades to come to grips with what it means for God to be my Father.

When I read Stormie Omartian’s book, The Prayer That Changes Everything — The Hidden Power of Praising God, (which is a wonderful book, by the way)  I got stuck in one of the chapters where she said, basically, that we cannot truly know God like He wants us to know Him until we get a grasp on the fact that He is our Father.  Well, that took me a while.

When I sat down one day to write out what that would actually look like on paper, I had to list failings of fathers I have known or heard about, recognizing that God is NOT like that, because He never fails.

Before I go any further, I want to say that I am not joining the ranks of the men-bashers.  But I do agree with other Christian writers, both men and women, who suggest that the concept children get of God is greatly affected by their perception of their father.

I love my father.  I am thankful that he was always faithful to my mom, that he was a hard worker, and that he never became enslaved to any vice.  He taught me some very valuable lessons in life.  But when I go and try to buy him a Father’s Day card, I wonder if there are really that many dads out there that are like the ones described in those cards.  One of the things my dad taught me, and taught me well, was to be honest.  And really, I can’t give him a card that isn’t completely true.  So sometimes I just make my own.

Anyway, for those of you who understand what it is like to have a less-than-stellar dad, I hope the following will help you understand better who God is as your Father; you may be able to add some things that I have missed.

My Father is the King of the Universe.  He is gentle and strong at the same time and sees no disconnect between the two.  He will never neglect me or make me feel like His work is more important than I am, because I am a part of His work.   He will never mistreat me in a fit of temper.  He will never mock me when I am upset, speak abusively to me, or accuse me of something that is not true.  He will never misunderstand the intentions of my heart.  He loves me perfectly, treats me with grace and gentleness, delights in me, and lets me know He values me in spite of my failures.

He is not selfish or proud.  He never pouts or stews.  He came to earth as a Servant and sacrificed Himself for me.  His love for me is perfect.  When He disciplines me, it is to teach me valuable lessons so that I may share in His holiness (Hebrews 12:10).

My Father talks with me anytime I want.  He never sleeps, so I can even talk to Him about my worries and concerns in the middle of the night. (Isaiah 40:28; Psalm 121:4)  He’s never too busy to spend time with me.  He goes with me to all of my important events, helps me organize my schedule, and strengthens my hands with His encouraging words:  “You can do it; I’ll help you.”  (Philippians 4:13)

He protects me from harm and stands up to the bullies in my life, and He is NEVER one of those bullies.  He comforts me in the disappointments of life, counsels me when I’m confused, and carries me in His strong arms when I’m too weak to take another step.

He calms my fears, listens to my chattering with patience, and accepts me as I am.  He helps me with extreme patience to change what I need to change and never condemns me.  He always forgives me when I’m sorry and doesn’t keep bringing up past mistakes.

He will never leave me nor forsake me.

He will never grow old and feeble, never end up in a nursing home, never grow forgetful or develop dementia, and never die.

I’ve got the most wonderful Daddy in the whole universe!