Some of the fondest memories of my life are of my childhood and my father. I was fortunate to have a good dad who loved God and his family and always looked out for our good and welfare. My heart goes out to those who are not so fortunate (such as those with whom I have worked in the juvenile detention center). Many of these juveniles were raised by “dictatorial and abusive” fathers.
Due to their childhood they have had instilled in them a false concept of what a true, loving father is. They face a special challenge of visualizing Almighty God as a loving “Father in heaven”. Their warped thinking tends to view God (if there is a God) as a God to be feared who looks for any opportunity to pour out His wrath on them to make their lives even more miserable than it already is. These unfortunate juveniles need to be taught that the only father they have ever known is the devil’s father who is a murderer and a liar (Jn. 8:44). This “evil father” is “the god of this world” (2 Cor. 4:4).
I cannot tell you how many times I have left jails with prayers of thanksgiving for my parents who taught me about the true God of heaven and earth! I am indebted to them for “taking me to church and Sunday School” every time the doors were open. Because they modeled the true God before my youthful eyes I have no problem seeing my Creator as a good and loving Father in heaven.
Even when my dad had to spank me, he always said “This is going to hurt me more than it will hurt you”. It has taken years of maturing for me to understand those words and why he didn’t just spare us both some pain! I now understand his discipline was from a good heart of love for me, for “we have had human fathers who corrected us, and we paid them respect. Shall we not much more readily be in subjection to the Father of spirits and live? (Heb. 12:9).
What I am saying is that our concept of God as a Father is shaped early in childhood. If we were fortunate enough to have a godly father we can more easily understand the true Father of spirits and how He loves us with a perfect love. If we had “an ungodly father”, our concept of God is so warped and distorted that we are “uncomfortable” thinking of God as a “Good Father” in heaven.
Ralph Weinhold