The Best Father

I sit with women all the time, as you might know 😉 And one of the ways I help them reflect on how they view God in unhelpful ways is to invite them to see God as a perfect Father.

It’s hard for many of us. Trust me, I know. But for many who are moms, when they begin to think of the big love they have for their children and then understand God has that and even more for us, it can turn on a spiritual lightbulb.

When you think about some of the ways you view God-you know- the ones that are very unhelpful when you’re knee-deep in a difficult chapter or hard circumstance and you start believing God is punishing you, or God is giving you long to-do lists that you are failing to complete, I want you to ask yourself: Would a good, good Father look at His kid and do what you have unconsciously convinced yourself God is doing?

I got to meet a woman at an event recently, and within a few minutes she was crying because she so longs to spend time with God, and yet she feels overwhelmed by her season of life as a mom of many children. She feels like God is disappointed and wants her to have hours and hours to read His Word, and somehow she must be failing.

I asked her, and trust me, I love God’s Word and think we all ought to read it, not out of guilt and obligation, but because it’s where we get life, refreshment, guidance and wisdom. But even with that belief, I said to that weary woman, “If your kid was exhausted and it was getting late, and you were talking to her and she fell asleep, would you say, ‘Wake up! You get up and you listen to my words! I don’t care if you’re tired!'”

I wonder, what would a good, good Father say?

I think He might say, “Oh honey, you’re so tired. Let me help you up. Let’s get you to bed. You need some rest, and we can wake up tomorrow to a day full of new mercies.”

I met with a very wounded young man who read my book and was so impacted that he called out to a God he didn’t believe in while reading it. He wanted to meet and talk about his new found faith.

So there we were in a coffee shop and the first thing he said to me was, “I am talking to God and wanting to seek Him now, but I can’t say that I am ready to go around and tell everyone about Him.”

I thought, wow, this is interesting.

This kid has a thousand reasons he needs healing, and I don’t say that lightly. He has been through so much pain and is very alone, and here he is, he gave his life to God! And his view of God is that he needs to be out “doing” for God already like God is some kind of taskmaster or has such high needs that we must immediately become His PR team.

I asked him where he got this idea. He shared and then I suggested he let his good, good Father help and heal him in this season.

I said, “Your perfect Father isn’t like, ‘I don’t care that you’re wounded! You go work for Me. You go tell everyone who I am!'” I said, “If my son was hurting, I wouldn’t be telling him, ‘Hey, you need to go tell people, “This is my mom! This is my mom!”‘ Your Father wants to help you put back the pieces of your life right now.”

Friend, I share these stories because as we approach Father’s Day, I understand it’s very complex for many of us. But you have a good, good Father, and His goodness isn’t dependent on yours. His goodness is also not dependent on how good your father was or was not.

Our Father is perfect.

He loves you, and He knows best.

If He withholds, He knows best.

If He blesses in abundance, He knows best.

If you’re tired, He’s gentle.

If you’re lost, He’s pursuing.

If you’re hungry, do eat His Word.

If you’re wounded, He’s the Healer.

Let us celebrate the earthly fathers in our lives if we have them, but let us also turn to the Best Father we all have.