Stand firm in the
faith.
Be courageous. Be
strong.
And do everything
with love.
Corinthians 16:13-14 NLT
~~~~~~
What
does it take to be a Godly father? It certainly takes more than doing what
comes naturally. The majority of fathers in the world are not worthy of emulation.
Even in Christian circles, fathers have their failings. Though there are many “good
fathers” after whom men can pattern their lives, none are perfect. There is
only one father who is perfect – our Heavenly Father.
Most
of the world sees God as a distant, angry and, hard ruler. This false concept
has been promoted by early artists, legalistic religious leaders, and the
lifestyles of insecure angry fathers. But nothing could be farther from the
truth.
In
his first epistle John tells us that: God is love.
Love is at the heart of God’s nature. All His attributes - holiness,
righteousness, justice, mercy, faithfulness, etc. are all motivated by, and
flow through His perfect love. The gospel of John quotes Jesus as saying: Anyone who has seen
me has seen the Father! So
when we look at Jesus as he is revealed in the gospels, we see the love of God
in human form.
It
goes without saying, to be a Godly father a man has to have a personal relationship
with Christ, and be familiar with the scriptures so he will be able to live a
Christ like life. A Godly father goes beyond just telling his children to live
a Godly life. He strives to demonstrate how that life is lived.
My
earthly father, like every other human father, wasn’t flawless. (As I write
this, I am so aware of how I as a father haven’t measured up in the past and still come
short today, but this must be our lifelong goal – to live a life patterned after
our perfect Heavenly Father).
The
love of our Heavenly Father is unconditional. Whether we bring Him joy or break
His heart – His love for us is the same. Even when He disciplines us it’s motivated by perfect
love. Help us Father, to Be on guard. Stand firm in the
faith. Be courageous. Be strong. And do everything with love. so we will be a more Godly example to our
children.
Turn up your sound and listen to: THE
LOVE OF GOD by the Gaither Vocal Band.
If you would be interested in my life's story - click on THE STORY OF MY LIFE under Pages on the column to the right.
1 comment:
Thanks Iver for reminding me that God, my Father, has unconditional love as the basis for our relationship. In my role as an earthly father, if I can keep that as the foundation of my relationship with my children, then my faults, flaws, and failures can be openly confessed. A very wise friend has this principle for dealing with adult children, keep your arms wide open, your eyes half open, and your mouth shut.
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