H. Norman Wright states in his book, Always Daddy’s Girl, “Tell me about your father… I’m sure many thoughts and feelings about your father rise to the surface. Many may be pleasant; some may be unpleasant. What influence has your father been on your life to date? Whether he was close or distant, present or absent, cold or warm, loving or abusive, your father has left his mark on you.”

One of the issues becomes how you view God. Many times people place on God the burdens of their earthly father. It is crucial that you know who God is, described to us through His Word. A few examples of His qualities as a father are:

• He is the loving, concerned Father who is interested in the intimate details of our lives. Matthew 6:25-34
• He is the Father who never gives up on us. Luke 15:3-32
• He is always available to us through prayer. John 14:13-14
• He values us. Luke 12:24
• He is for us. Romans 8:31

There are many more. Unconditional love is one of the most important to remember. When we fail, when we don’t live up to His expectations, when we sin, He is not there to reject us, but to accept us. He is waiting with open arms if we’ll turn to Him.

We now know we (especially dads) are a reflection of a child’s view of God. So, this is a Father’s Day challenge to all fathers, young and old, or in between. What do you need to be doing to reflect God’s love and acceptance to your children? What are the action steps to achieve this goal? I suggest that you write down the action steps and refer to them often so that you may become the father that your Heavenly Father wants you to be.

by Kris Hungerford, Director of Grace Counseling Services, Denver, CO.
CCF Guest Contributor