Father, Father!

"He was in the world, and the world was made through Him, and the world did not know Him.  He came to His own, and His own did not receive Him. But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name: who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God."  John 1:10-13 (NKJV)

A comment was made recently that rekindled my thoughts about the variety of fathers that children experience growing up. Whatever type of earthly father we may have had growing up, it's awesome to know that we, now belonging to Him through Christ Jesus, have the perfect and permanent Father that we were created by Him to have.

There are very many who have grown up without an earthly father present. And those might lament the absence of a father to nurture, teach and guide them to maturity, while others may have had a father that made them wish at some point that theirs was one of those absent. Abandoners, abusers, drunkards, and the self centered are some that exist among men and women promoted by their own sins to become some of the fathers and mothers that some children are held captive to experience in their youth. Our experiences with earthly fathers and mothers are as different as the fathers and mothers that we were entrusted to. I have no doubt that there are very many "good" fathers out there, but it seems there are many flawed individuals out there as well that may have failed not only their children in replicating Christ, but also the ultimate Father who entrusted His own children into their care. For some of us, the responsibility eventually became our care, as we were entrusted by the Creator with children of "our own". And for some of us who have walked in that responsibility in the past, even the memory of our smaller failures can make us squirm as we watch those children today.

"Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. “Honor your father and mother,” which is the first commandment with promise: “that it may be well with you and you may live long on the earth.” And you, fathers, do not provoke your children to wrath, but bring them up in the training and admonition of the Lord."  Ephesians 6:1-4 (NKJV)

How wonderful it would be to say of those that came before, and even of our own selves, that we were ever-present and that we perfectly reflected and emulated Christ, at every moment in our turn. What determination, endurance, patience, gentleness, perfect love, and wisdom we would have displayed in every moment without fail. I expect though, that every parent, if held to an honest account, could likely reflect back to a moment of failure against that standard of Christ at some point. And if not, I wonder that the Lord hasn't taken those up already. The truth is that we - none of us, are perfect and that should make us all ever more grateful for the grace we have received through Christ. Now I'm not offering or making excuse for our failures, but instead reminding to recognize that grace abounds for the truly repentant.

Also though, it's my goal to point out a couple of things. As odd as it might sound, some of us are blessed to have been dealt trials in our own upbringing. We may have been made compassionate, strong and experienced in some ways that enable us to speak into the lives of others enduring similar trials by the things that we ourselves may have experienced. It may seem odd to think this way, but for some of us, the events of our lives that we might lament from the past may have fostered a gift of understanding in us that we might find useful in service to other brothers and sisters on the path toward Christ that we travel together - if the Lord provides opportunity. 

For any who might ridicule my comments here as though I lack standing to speak on this, I have the misaligned bones that healed incorrectly to represent the hidden scars of bloody and bruising encounters, hidden from others in my youth, to speak to my standing for me. Those are events long forgiven that I eventually came to view as part of the source of my increased compassion, understanding, and patience for some others in life. For some of us, if we allow it, the Lord is able to turn those shameful hurts from the past into useful tools that might allow us to be a blessing to others. Rather than being forever victims, we might actually gain by allowing the Lord to draw from some of those negative experiences, positive attributes, for His use and glory. Allowing the Lord to help us overcome our own limitations, to turn them into His advantage, is a blessing even to ourselves. It becomes a point of overcoming and healing victory over what would otherwise have the potential to have kept us mercilessly captive - victims of the past, instead of ambassadors of hope for the future to others through Christ.

As much as we're tempted to view things and people from the world that seems nearer to us, the true perspective of reality is that what may be unseen to our eyes, unheard to our ears, and beyond our physical reach is the permanent reality of our God that we'll be dealing with well beyond this current life - for eternity, in fact. That puts into perspective the fact that our true Father isn't the physical one, but the Eternal Spirit who breathed life into us. And His heart and His promises are perfect and available - reflected in everything that He's said and made available to everyone who truly loves Him and is willingly obedient to what He requires. His Fatherly heart and essence is on display throughout scripture to everyone who has the eyes to see from His perspective. And that's a perspective worth praying for if one doesn't yet have it.

“Take heed that you do not despise one of these little ones, for I say to you that in heaven their angels always see the face of My Father who is in heaven. For[ the Son of Man has come to save that which was lost. “What do you think? If a man has a hundred sheep, and one of them goes astray, does he not leave the ninety-nine and go to the mountains to seek the one that is straying? And if he should find it, assuredly, I say to you, he rejoices more over that sheep than over the ninety-nine that did not go astray. Even so it is not the will of your Father who is in heaven that one of these little ones should perish. Matthew 18: 10-14 (NKJV)

“Wash yourselves, make yourselves clean; Put away the evil of your doings from before My eyes. Cease to do evil, learn to do good; Seek justice, rebuke the oppressor; Defend the fatherless, plead for the widow. “Come now, and let us reason together,” Says the Lord, “Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; Though they are red like crimson, they shall be as wool."  Isaiah 1:16-18

He's the Father of fathers who speaks to us examples, proverbs, advice, correction and instruction for our eternal benefit as His eternal sons and daughters.

"He has shown you, O man, what is good; And what does the LORD require of you but to do justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God?"  Micah 6:8 (NKJV)