Getting To Know God As The Father

God the Father is a welcome concept for some and a challenge for others. Often, we let the experience of fatherhood shape the way we relate to God as a father, when we really need to completely reverse our approach.

God is the original Father, the Creator of all. He created parents. It is His infinitely generous love that determines what parents can and should do. When we are loved by our parents, when they nurture, support and protect us, they are reflecting the very nature of God.

So, whatever your experience with fathers so far, try to approach God as Father with clarity. Let God, the author of family, love and belonging, introduce himself as your father.

Now is the time to step into your identity as the son or daughter of the creator of the world.

We Are Boys And Girls

Galatians 3:26 says: “Therefore, in Christ Jesus, you are all children of God by faith.”

This verse is part of a chapter that explains that we have been delivered through Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross. Through Him we can live by grace.

From the moment mankind was created, we have been members of God’s family. He is our Father, our companion and our home from the beginning.

But, the fall meant that a great division was created between us and our Father. From then, until the time of Jesus’ death on the cross, our relationship with God has been affected by the division sin has caused.

What this important verse in Galatians means is that because of what Jesus did on the cross, we can once again live as a family with God. When Jesus announced that the veil was torn, He was announcing the return of the relationship between us and our Father.

In 2 Corinthians 6:18, Paul included a promise from God: “I will be your Father, and you will be my sons and daughters.”

Take a moment to imagine how dependent a child is on their parents. When we are young, we depend on our parents for everything, from basics like where to sleep and where to eat, to guiding us on how to live well. Children’s lives cannot be separated from their parents. They cuddled each other from morning to night.

That is the relationship we are designed to have with God.

Characteristics of God as Father

The more you learn about God and the more time you spend with Him, the more you realize how good He is as a Father and how lucky we are to be His children.

“For great is His love for us, and His faithfulness endures forever.” Psalm 117:2

He is agreeable. Psalm 117 describes God’s amazing faithfulness. Having a faithful father means we can trust that we are never alone and that no matter how troubled or difficult life is, we will always have God’s backing. .

Zephaniah 3:17 says: “The Lord your God is with you, Mighty Warrior, deliverer. He will be very excited about you; in His love He will no longer rebuke you, but will rejoice over you and sing.”

God delights in you. This passage from Zephaniah gives us a glimpse of how much God loves us and how pleased He is with us. How strange it is to think that God rejoices because we sing.

In the Gospel of Luke, we are told the story of the prodigal son. This famous parable describes a son who ran away from home and squandered his inheritance. Even when he disrespected his father and lived a foolish life, the son’s father saw his son coming home and ran to meet him.

He will always welcome us home. This parable is a powerful explanation of what kind of God is the Father. No matter how many mistakes we make, how stupid we are, or how long we are away from home, He will always run to greet us.

Bible Verses about God the Father

Knowing God as Father can be one of the most transformative relationships in your life. As we accept our roles as His sons and daughters, we are renewed by His love, grace, and forgiveness. The Bible is full of verses that teach us about God the Father.

He offers us:

Being God’s children means we can count on His provision for us.

“Look at the birds of the sky; they do not sow or reap or store up in barns, yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Aren’t you worth more than them?” Matthew 6:26

This quote from Matthew encourages us to remember that we can count on God’s provision for us. We can trust that, just as the birds of the air have everything they need, so do we.

He gives us good gifts:

In Matthew 7, we find a wonderful description of the character of God the Father.

“Which one of you, when his son asks for bread, gives him a stone? Or ask for a fish and give a snake? So if you, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask Him!” Matthew 7:9-11

There are two important teachings in this passage. First, Jesus teaches us that God loves to give us good gifts. He explains that every parent, even those full of failures and messes, loves to bring good things to their children. So imagine how lovingly God, our heavenly Father, gives us such good gifts.

Second, Jesus encourages us to ask God for everything. It is easy to forget that we can come to God with our hopes, dreams, and needs and just ask Him.

Just as a child cries out when he needs food or comfort, God wants us, His children, to cry out to Him.

Learn to Live Being a Child of God

Sometimes we can understand something in our heads, but it can take a while to seep into our hearts.

So while we may understand our identity as children of God, we may not really feel it.

Feeling able to draw close to God the Father can take a little practice. Here’s a simple exercise you can do to help encourage you to truly feel safe and comfortable as a child of God.

God the Father: Daily Practice

Before you go to bed at night, sit down and journal for a minute and try this exercise. Think back to your day, fill in the blanks as you write it down. Then pray out loud.

Dad,

Today I am very grateful for Your provision in this area….

Today I find this… difficult and I look forward to Your help. Let tomorrow bring a solution or a breakthrough.

God, I need this… in my life now.

Thank You for loving me like Your own child.

Amen.

Cagatay Orhan’s photo on Unsplash

Jason Blackeye’s photo on Unsplash.