Good Good Father
So Jesus explained, “I tell you the truth, the Son can do nothing by himself. He does only what he sees the Father doing. Whatever the Father does, the Son also does. For the Father loves the Son and shows him everything he is doing. In fact, the Father will show him how to do even greater works than healing this man. Then you will truly be astonished.” John 5:19-20
Fifteen years ago, I wrote a Devotion about my father moments before he would pass away. He was a great man who taught me about having a heart for people, figuring out things with my God given abilities, and how you could cry and still be a man. At his funeral, I remember talking about the mountain of a man he was, and how dealing with his body slowly giving in to time taught me so much on how to be stronger beyond what I could imagine. Yet even in his final months, his weakened voice could still command respect from me. When I hear the song ‘Good Good Father,’ I not only think of the relationship I have with God but also inevitably reflect on Dad and the many lessons he taught me.
As I have grown in my relationship with God, I further understand the things my father did to put me down this very path. My Dad was a protector, provider, mentor, disciplinarian, teacher, and a whole bunch of things that made it very easy for me to understand who God is as an authority figure. This is not to say that he was perfect. Yet, there is not much I can think of about him that does not remind me of who God is. It has helped me in my role as a parent. While I would argue that I am not nearly the man he was, he did assure me that he was very proud of me. More importantly at the end, I had an opportunity to say to him what I get to say to God each and every day. He was the best father I could ever ask for.
God is such a good Father. We often talk about doing those things that please God. However, I think about the things my father did. I did not mimic him to impress him although there were times I tried to. Ultimately, I did things like him because I loved him. We all did things our parents did to copy them. But back then, we were not mature enough to understand what love really was. When our parents smiled at something we did or gave us a hug, we felt the warmth of what love was like, and we wanted to feel that again. We have experienced what Jesus Christ has done for us. We have felt the warmth of His sacrifice to give us a new life, and as such, we should mimic His life much like we did our parents. Paul’s opening in Romans 12 speaks in the spirit of this relationship saying, “And so, dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all he has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice—the kind he will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship him.” (Romans 12:1) He is not saying to die for Christ although one may do so as Jesus said to lay down one’s life for a friend. Instead, he is asking us to give ourselves up to do God’s work. This allows for His will to be done through us. And much like the smiles are parents gave us when we achieved something, God too is pleased when we follow His instruction. Again, it is not because He tells us. It is because we love Him so.
Our Heavenly Father loves us for who we are! He watches over and provides for us to grow and gain greater awareness of who He is. He also gives us blessings and protects us from harm. No wonder Jesus would say, “I am the good shepherd; I know my own sheep, and they know me.” (John 10:14) So, is it any wonder why we should know how valued we are to Him? Let our love continue to grow for God revering in all that He has done for us. What are you thankful to God for today? What attributes of your parents can you link directly to God to understand Him better? My prayer is that we see God as I saw Dad, The Good Good Father. Amen.