The Blessing of Having a Dad
Hello, and welcome to another blessing Sunday. Traveling with me on this path are
Lynda Lambert who shared the idea with me
and
The 3rd sunday of June in the United States is Father’s Day. It can be a joyous time, but the caveats I discussed in my post about
apply.
The problem, of course, is that God is viewed by Christians as a Father, and He gets all the garbage we project on Him because of our relationship with our own.
I remember once watching an episode of MASH (1 of my all-time favorite TV shows). Drs. Winchester and Pierce were talking. Winchester said to Pierce something similar to: “the difference between us is that I had a father. You had a dad.” Dr. Winchester’s tone expressed pain at how little his father had interacted with him. He was distant. He expressed love only when Dr. Winchester had done something exceptional, and even then only begrudgingly.
I think a lot of us view God that way. Actually, I think many of us look on Him as someone who delights in punishing us, who’ll send us to hell for the smallest of indisgressions,, maybe even like a predator torturing its prey before the final merciful kill.
The Bible says something different. It refers to God as “Abba”, which, in English, might be better translated as Papa, Dad, or Daddy, as opposed to Father, which is how it’s normally rendered.
The image God wants us to see, I think, is that portrayed in Luke 15:11-32, the parable of the lost son. Indeed, He loved each and every one of us so much that He sent His son to die on a cross so we could be with Him.
The late Dr. Larry Crabb wrote a book in 2006 called “The Papa Prayer.” I recommend it highly. In fact, I think I’ll read it again after I’m done with this, because no matter how many times you read it, there’s still something to be learned when you re-read it. The point is that God is our father–no, our Papa or daddy. He loves us so very much, and His greatest longing is that we come to him with everything–our hopes, dreams, joys, sorrows, and fears. No matter what your relationship to your father was, your relationship to God can be deeper and more fulfilling.
God is our very life. In Him we live and move and have our being. (Acts 17:28). He wants the very best for us, and, like the old TV show called “Father Knows Best” says, He actually knows what that is. It may not pertain to our earthly comfort, but it will lead to our union with Him if we’ll allow it.
I wish for you a happy Father’s Day. Even more, I wish for you the relationship God wishes to have with you. May He bless you richly.
The Parable of the Lost Son
11 Jesus continued: “There was a man who had two sons. 12 The younger one said to his father, ‘Father, give me my share of the estate.’ So he divided his property between them.
13 “Not long after that, the younger son got together all he had, set off for a distant country and there squandered his wealth in wild living. 14 After he had spent everything, there was a severe famine in that whole country, and he began to be in need. 15 So he went and hired himself out to a citizen of that country, who sent him to his fields to feed pigs. 16 He longed to fill his stomach with the pods that the pigs were eating, but no one gave him anything.
17 “When he came to his senses, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired servants have food to spare, and here I am starving to death! 18 I will set out and go back to my father and say to him: Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. 19 I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me like one of your hired servants.’ 20 So he got up and went to his father.
“But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him.
21 “The son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’
22 “But the father said to his servants, ‘Quick! Bring the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. 23 Bring the fattened calf and kill it. Let’s have a feast and celebrate. 24 For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’ So they began to celebrate.
25 “Meanwhile, the older son was in the field. When he came near the house, he heard music and dancing. 26 So he called one of the servants and asked him what was going on. 27 ‘Your brother has come,’ he replied, ‘and your father has killed the fattened calf because he has him back safe and sound.’
28 “The older brother became angry and refused to go in. So his father went out and pleaded with him. 29 But he answered his father, ‘Look! All these years I’ve been slaving for you and never disobeyed your orders. Yet you never gave me even a young goat so I could celebrate with my friends. 30 But when this son of yours who has squandered your property with prostitutes comes home, you kill the fattened calf for him!’
31 “‘My son,’ the father said, ‘you are always with me, and everything I have is yours. 32 But we had to celebrate and be glad, because this brother of yours was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’”