DO YOU TRUST YOUR EARTHLY FATHER?

DO YOU TRUST YOUR EARTHLY FATHER?

 

I have several times written about our relationship to our earthly father and I will surely do it again. Why? Because our relationship to God is partly dependent on our relationship to our earthly father. I also get new readers that haven’t thought so much about this connection.

When I look up a Bible-dictionary, I could read page after page about faith. Many books are also written about faith. I could also have written a book about faith.

We know that all relationships are built on a sound trust to each other. If that is lacking, the relationship is probably not so deep, but more superficial. I hear too often people say: God, no I cannot trust Him. He doesn’t help me. I know that that isn’t true, but they feel that way. What kind of relationship do they have to their own father and what kind of relationship do they have to God? Some of these people come to me for help, but if they do not believe that God can help them, I cannot help them either. I am totally dependent on God to help people. I am a visible person for them and God isn’t so visible. I know that God is for real, but everybody can’t believe that since they can’t see Him. When we have an earthquake, there might be an enormous explosion with a lot of destruction. One might not think that the earthquake is a result of powers and activities going on long before the earthquake. It is the same in the invisible world. Many things go on before a miracle take place or a destruction is visible. Both God and the devil are very active long before we see it.

Back to the headline. What are you thinking when you think about your earthly father or your earthly daddy that I would like to call him. My father was kind, but he was weak and allowed himself to be dominated by my mother. That made me doubt God. Would He really help me when I had a problem? Would He stand up for me? Others have fathers that do not show any interest in their children. They might start thinking that God is the same. The Bible writes a lot about God’s love for His children, but it is not real for everybody. Quite a few are living without a father, and they do not know what to expect from a father. When I say that God is good, they wonder how that will show in practical life.

I also have contact with people that have experienced encroachment or being sexually assaulted by their fathers. This can have happened once, but others have lived under it for a very long time. Encroachment might be that they have been punished physically or verbally in a very unreasonable way. When I use the word father, they think of a person that they are very afraid of. They might think about God the same way. Can they trust Him or is He unreasonable? I am not talking about a healthy reverence, but a real fear. Some will give God the characteristics of the devil then. God told me a long time ago that many do not dare to come to Him because they are afraid of Him. That makes God very sad. He is so full of love, and He is longing for an intimate relationship to His created creatures. He wants to help them, love them and comfort them. He sacrificed His son Jesus so that He could open a way for people to come to the Father. We can come to God at any time, and we will never be rejected or find a closed door.

Your earthly daddy is your first impression of a male figure. What kind of impression do you have of a man? A boy will watch how his dad acts towards his mother. Is he loving? Does he take the responsibility for his family? Does he teach his children in the Word of God? Does he help with the work at home, or does he leave that to his wife? Does he show interest in his children and in their interests? Does he praise and encourage his children or does he mainly criticize them? Do the boys get a healthy identity as a man and do the girls get a sound confirmation that will make them secure as women in the future?

Your picture of your dad isn’t only influencing your relationship to God, but also what kind of partners that you choose in the future. It will also influence you in how you will act as a wife and mother and you as a husband and a father. We are sometimes choosing a partner that is very much like your father, but I have lately met quite a few young men choosing the opposite. They have been thinking a lot about what kind of characteristics they are looking for in their future partner. That is a good preparation for marriage.

Our picture of our dad is also influencing our relationship to all people. I have seen it in church, at work and among friends. Is the pastor or my boss like my father? Are my male friends like my father?

 

I say to you fathers: USE JESUS AS YOUR MALE MODEL!

Mother Else