A Loving Father
by Pastor Bill Pevlor

     I would like to dedicate this column to clearing up a common misconception about God. Unfortunately, many people have gotten the wrong impression of our Heavenly Father somewhere along the way. In spite of the concept many have of Him, God is not a terrible tyrant sitting on the edge of His throne in Heaven just waiting for us to sin so He can punish us and send us to hell! In fact, quite the contrary is true! God is a loving Heavenly Father who desires the very best for us, His children. One of the most popular verses in scripture, John 3:16, makes this very clear. “For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.” 

     Let us consider the example of a good, earthly father; the kind of dad we would all admire. A good father loves his children and does many things for them. He provides them with basic necessities of life such as food, clothing and shelter. He also provides them with a name; instilling in them and sense of identity and self-worth. A good father establishes rules and guidelines for his children to follow. He teaches his children, instruction discipline and the example he sets for them. Perhaps most importantly, a good father spends time with his children and constantly assures them of his love for them.

     In Matthew 7:11, Jesus compared God to a natural father who does his best to provide good things for his children. Jesus said, “If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask Him!”

     This is a rather interesting comparison. By our standards, we wouldn’t consider most people to be “evil.” That’s because we tend to compare ourselves with the others around us. We look at the group, as a whole, and decide what’s average. Those performing above average we consider “good.” Those performing below average we consider “bad.” Those well below average we consider “evil.” When Jesus said, “though you are evil” He wasn’t just speaking of those performing well below average by human standards. He was speaking of those who are performing well below average in comparison to God the Father. And that would include us all.

     Even at our very best, we human fathers are imperfect. We love our children and desire the very best for them, but more often than we care to admit, we make mistakes. Sometimes we fail. We are human, but God is not! Unlike the best of earthly fathers, God’s love for his children is perfect. He never fails. He never has a bad day at the office and taken it out on the family. He never fails to keep a promise. He’s never failed to properly discipline. He’s never failed to properly support. He is the epitome of the perfect father.

     As our Heavenly Father, God has provided for all of our needs. He created the world and everything in it. He gave us the ability to think and create. He has given us natural strength to work and earn a living. God has also given us the name of Jesus. According to Acts 4:12, “Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved.” It is in this powerful name that we may approach the Father. It is in Christ that we find our identity as the children of God.

     God, like a good father, has also given us guidelines or rules to govern our lives. Here is where many people gain a false perception of God. They often hear lists of rules and commandments and come to the conclusion that obeying God means living a boring life adhering to strict, tedious regulations. Nothing could be farther from the truth! The guidelines set forth in God’s Word are a clear demonstration of His love and concern, given for our benefit and protection. Like any good father who teaches his children not to touch a hot stove or play in the street, God gives us instructions to guide us into safe, happy, productive lives.

     Most importantly, our Heavenly Father desires to have a close, personal relationship with each of His children. Like the father of the prodigal son in Luke 15, God has displayed His willingness to receive, forgive, and restore us in spite of our failures and rejection of Him and His love. This is demonstrated in that, “...while we were still sinners, Christ died for us,” (Romans 5:8). God, in the form of Christ, went to the ultimate extreme of laying down His life in order to have a relationship with us, His children.

     As we approach Father’s Day this year, let us not only honor our earthly fathers, but let us also celebrate the love of our perfect Heavenly Father.

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