A Fathers Love

Posted on May 29, 2020 in Stan Martin, Uncategorized | 0

A Father’s Love

 
When you were growing up, if you caused trouble for your father with your behavior and watched him love you through that, you should especially appreciate God’s Fatherly love for you. I’ve been blessed with a dad who had to put up with fighting, horrible attitudes, bull-headed stubbornness, a wicked temper, unbridled selfishness, and so much more (yeah, I was great, but my brother was a real piece of work…. Just kidding; everything I just listed was me). And knowing how much he loves me despite all those things makes me value God’s love for me even more.

 

The other day we were visiting my parents, and at lunch I mentioned a couple of incidents from my teen years that I had withheld from them until the statute of limitations had expired (I think it’s 30 years for general idiocy). They still loved me, even though I did some stupid things back in the days when I knew everything. They were aware of some of it back when it happened (at least the stuff I couldn’t hide from them), and they loved me anyway.

 

It made me think about how great God’s love for us is, especially considering that we can’t hide anything from Him, because He knows everything we do and even the things we think (How scary is that?!). And even though the sins we commit hurt Him directly, He still takes us as His own. He CHOOSES us.

 

I think one of the greatest concepts in Scripture is how it talks about our relationship with God as that of an adoptive Father and His (chosen) children:

 

“…that we might receive the adoption as sons. Because you are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into our hearts, crying, “Abba! Father!” So you are no longer a slave, but God’s child; and since you are his child, God has made you also an heir.”   Galatians 4:5-7

 

“I will be a Father to you, and you will be my sons and daughters, says the Lord Almighty.” 2 Corinthians 6:18

 

“So in Christ Jesus you are all children of God through faith….” Galatians 3:26

 

“But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God.” John 1:12

 

“See how great a love the Father has bestowed on us, that we would be called children of God; and such we are.” 1 John 3:1

 

Those of us who’ve had loving, forgiving fathers should never let ourselves lose sight of the incredible blessing that is, or what a blessing such a relationship with our Heavenly Father is.

 

I’m grateful to have a father who loves me despite my failings. Though I may wait a little longer to tell him about the incident with the Manchester High mascot, the blueberry yogurt, and the Principal’s car. Not sure the statute of limitations has run out on that one yet. Maybe in another 20 years….

^