And because you are sons, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, “Abba! Father!” Galatians 4:6
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For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, “Abba! Father!” Romans 8:15
If you were blessed with the ideal father in your life, consider yourself especially blessed. Most of the rest of us had to deal with the dysfunctional results from the relationship.
Yes, our dads may have been a good provider, but a lousy listener. They may have protected us from outside harm, but abused us within the four walls of our home. They gave us opportunities to play sports, but never attended a game. They gave us room to grow and experiment, but never provided us with boundaries to keep us safe.
As kids growing up we saw our dad from our little viewpoint. But now as mature adults, we recognize they did their best. They also may have grown up in a messed-up environment. And like most of us, they didn’t want to repeat the same mistakes their dads did with them. So, they swung the pendulum to the other extreme.
The fact is there is no perfect earthly dad. We are all a work in process. We all carry spiritual holes and have psychological strongholds buried deep within us. So, we do the best we can with who we are at the time.
In my youth, I was ashamed of my old-fashion, immigrant dad. He didn’t speak the native language. As kids, he rarely played with us. He was always working. He never was interested in my world. The result was built up anger that carried into a greater need of receiving outside approval in life.
Enter Jesus.
HE introduced me to HIS Father. Papa God. (Abba is the Aramaic word for our English word papa or daddy). The perfect father that every child needs. As our relationship grew, Papa God introduced me to various other men in my life. Men who reflected Papa God’s character. Men who took personal time to mentor me in business, relationships, and masculinity.
Over time, Papa God opened my eyes to see my earthly dad as the real man he is. A man who reflected the character of God in more ways than I recognized at the time. A man who trusted Papa God before I did. Yes a man with weaknesses. But a child of God with strengths. A man who trusted HIS God. A man who took the opportunities presented before HIM and built a successful life for his family. All without the worldly fanfare and noise. But now known by the personal lives he touched.
Papa God is more involved in our personal lives than we may ever know. As we lean on him in prayer, we develop a more meaningful relationship with the one who has adopted us. As we support HIM with our actions and resources, HE finds time to encourage us. Equip us. Engage us. He is always available to take our calls. Listen to our concerns. He will even give us advice when we ask. HE is the perfect father.
I hope you take time to know HIM. HE is the perfect Papa every man and woman needs.
Rooting For You in Christ!
Dr. Mike
Faith-Integrator, Encourager, Scribbler
“We continually ask God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all the wisdom and understanding that the Spirit gives,” (Colossians 1:9)
Aspirations and Writings Neatly Bound in Book Formats: (* indicates audio version now available
at Apple Books)
- Power Up With Jesus Book Series- Aspirations for a Grace-Paced Life *
- The Adventurous Journey of Transformation in Christ *
- Overflowing Prayers Rooted in Jesus Christ v1 & v2
- Dancing With God: A Life-Giving Worldview *
- Great Business Emulates a Good God
- Stay Free…Avoid Worldly Traps
- Simply The Messenger
- Unequally Married
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Radical In Christ 