Faithful Fathers

Father’s Day is just a few days away. No doubt you’ll honor your godly parent who’s always been there for you. Right? No? You might say, my father beat me, or my father left me when I was three. Then this post is for you!

God’s ideal plan for families in raising their children is by parental example.

But wait. I know so many men and women who never had the privilege or opportunity to be nurtured by a Christian father. They only saw drunkenness, heard foul language, or witnessed abuse in their homes. And they grew up with bitterness and hate. What about those guys? Does God still love them?

Let me tell you about one such person. His father beat and abused his mother, then left her and five siblings when he was twelve to fend for themselves with no financial support.

This young man hurt but as a young adult found a “friend.” Alcohol. This “friend” soothed his bitterness for years. But this “friend” was fickle. The morning after the binge, the hurt and pain always returned, and he had to imbibe all over again.

But the story doesn’t end there. Eventually, this man discovered another Father. The Lord God. It didn’t happen overnight, but eventually God showed him who He was. How much He loved him.

Today, this man has no need to numb the pain of rejection from his earthly father because he’s found another Dad. Hallelujah. I know because I’m married to this man.

I praise God for people who had godly fathers, but if you grew up without that example, take heart.

“As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you.” John 15:9 NIV

Can you allow God to replace the earthly father you never had? He will never leave nor forsake you.