Our Perfect Father

"If you then, 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 7:11

I didn’t have the best relationship with my dad growing up. He seemed cold, aloof, and distant. When I asked for attention in my own little way, his lack of affirmation (he had a VERY introverted personality) seemed like pure rejection!  My parent’s relationship didn’t help much either - it was a constant war zone.

Although we had a lot of junk in our family when I was young, my dad and I have a MUCH better relationship now than we ever had before. We can talk openly and I really feel that he cares for me. As I see him getting older it saddens my heart that none of us live forever, on this earth at least.

Before my relationship with my dad was restored, I had a negative view of my heavenly Father too. I didn’t know God as my "Dad" - I knew Him as an indifferent God who didn’t care about me or the details of my life. I was so mad at Him because He allowed bad things to happen to me. He didn’t change my negative circumstances. So to me I thought it meant He didn’t care.

But when I sought out and experienced God personally, my perception of Him completely changed.

A lot of us don’t have what we desire out of life because we don't believe we deserve it. Our problem starts in our belief. What do we believe about God?  We will perceive God the way we perceived our dads growing up.  If we don’t believe the person we are asking has good intentions for us, why would we even want to ask Him for what we need or want?

Now my dad spoils me in any way he can, even though I am now 28. If my earthly dad does this, how much more does our Heavenly Father want to love, cherish, and ridiculously bless His kids?

A Father's Heart

"Because you are sons, God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, the Spirit who calls out, 'Abba, Father.'" Galatians 4:6 NIV

Once when I worked for a high-end department store I was helping a young lady and her father with a dress for prom. I had a dress on hold for her, but when she came in to try it on we realized it was going to be too big. Both she and her father were so sad, but then, I found one dress hiding in another place, in exactly her size! Both the dad and daughter were overjoyed, and it was gorgegous; white satin with beautiful butterflies of all different colors all over the dress, and sparkling silver sequins dotted throughout the bodice.
 
When she tried it on, she looked fantastic. It seemed as though the dress had been made especially for her. As she turned to go back into the dressing room, brimming with excitement, her dad began to tell me of his shopping adventures with his four little girls. Ever since they were young he would take his daughters shopping. He remembered his youngest, the daughter he was shopping with now, trying on clothes when she was just a toddler, and he reminisced about how people would look at her, thinking she was just the cutest thing.
 
I was struck by his open affection and big heart. What also struck me was how down to earth these people were - both he and his daughter. It made me think of our relationship with our heavenly Father. Sometimes our earthly fathers may not be able to give us everything they want to give us. Sometimes we ask for things that aren't very good for us. Sometimes we may not have the best relationship with our "earlthy" fathers. But our Father in heaven does want the very best for us. He loves us so much! Can you imagine what it must be like to be God's son or daughter in heaven? If this man had such a big heart for his four girls, how much bigger is God's heart for us?
 
"Which of you, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him! So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets." Matthew 7:9-12 NIV
 
God is a God of the unlimited - unlimited love, unlimited acceptance, unlimited resources, unlimited everything. In Him there is no need. Ask him to be your perfect father today, to be everything you missed, and everything you will ever need. Ask him to be your perfect Father today.