Fatherly Love

 

~ God Is Our Example ~

 

Consider The Nature of God the Father's Love. Those of us who have received Jesus Christ as our Savior are blessed in multiple ways. Consider a few examples…

 

Our Father Initiated Our Love Relationship ~ He loved us first! (1 John 4:19).

 

Sacrificial Love ~ He gave His only begotten Son to save us, and wants to give us the kingdom! (John 3:16, Luke 12:32).   

 

Unconditional Love ~ He loves us just as we are, “as is,” yet He paid “full price” for us (Romans 5:8).   

 

Daily Love ~ His mercies are new every morning (Psalm 103:13, Lamentations 3:22-23).

 

A Love That Blesses ~ He blessed us at creation, and blesses each of us with our own blessing (Genesis 49:28).

 

Corrective Love ~ He corrects us for our benefit (Hebrews 12:6-11).   

 

Eternal Love ~ His love for us began when we were in our mother’s womb (Psalm 139:13-17).

 

Jealous Love ~ He is passionately in love with us (Song of Songs 7:10).    

 

Forgiving Love ~ He forgives all sins, big and small (Isaiah 1:18).

 

Protective Love ~ Nothing can separate us from our Heavenly Father’s love (Romans 8:38-39).

 

Question ~ As a father how does your love for your children measure up?

 

“A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another” (John 13:34-35).

 

“This is My commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you” (John 15:12).

 

~ Robert Lloyd Russell, ABUNDANT LIFE NOW blog.

 

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Bible Version: Quotations are from the NKJV unless otherwise noted. Emphasis is added.

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Father’s Day 2023

~ The Christ-Like Father ~

 

Note ~ I am aware that many individuals endured very faulty fathers (or even no father in their home). Without a good father present in the formative years an individual starts life with a major disadvantage. Also, a poor father makes it much more difficult for a child to learn to love and respect a heavenly Father. 

 

The Reality ~ In many “civilized societies” in the world today the importance of good parenting – and especially the proper role of a father – is being minimized and sometimes even mocked and ridiculed today. This trend is a deliberate strategy of Satan himself.

 

The Goal Of A Christian Father ~ Simply stated: to demonstrate Christ-like characteristics to his children and others. 

 

Clearly this is God’s plan. His desire is for all fathers to reflect His character – like an earthly mirror of our heavenly Father. Consider just one simple example of what this means from Matthew’s Gospel:

 

“What man is there of you, if his son asks him for a loaf of bread, will hand him a stone?  Or if he asks for a fish, will hand him a serpent? If you then, evil as you are, know how to give good and advantageous gifts to your children, how much more will your Father Who is in heaven [perfect as He is] give good and advantageous things to those who keep on asking Him!” (Matthew 7:9–11 amp).

 

Comment ~ Jesus expects Christian fathers to carefully ensure healthy physical and spiritual growth of those who have been gifted to him. This is not a choice or something to be done only when it is convenient. Earthly fathers by their actions, demeanor, and love are to be a path towards their children learning to love their heavenly Father. Remember, that Jesus gave His very life for His own.   

 

Scripture ~ Jesus said, “Whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to sin, it would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck, and he were drowned in the depth of the sea. Woe to the world because of offenses! For offenses must come, but woe to that man by whom the offense comes!” (Matthew 18:6-7, see also Mark 9:42 and Luke 17:1-2).

 

~ Robert Lloyd Russell, ABUNDANT LIFE NOW blog.

 

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Best & Worst Fathers

~ Consider Father Extremes ~

The Father Wound  ~  Many throughout the world today suffer from various kinds of “father wounds.”  These wounds can be caused by an absent father or from physical, mental, or emotional abusiveness.  Suffering from father wounds can sometimes make it difficult to respond to a loving heavenly Father.  On the other hand the extreme contrast can also make it more joyous when a person understands God, the Father, and His great everlasting love for them. 

The Worst Father  ~  In our society today it is unfortunate that many are fiercely loyal to even the most abusive and brutal fathers.  This phenomena is even more prevalent in the spiritual world—loyalty to the worst of all fathers.  Jesus put it this way, “Why do you not understand My speech?  Because you are not able to listen to My word.  You are of your father the devil, and the desires of your father you want to do.  He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him.  When he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own resources, for he is a liar and the father of it.  But because I tell the truth, you do not believe Me” (John 8:43-46).

The Best Father  ~  God, the Father, is the exact opposite—He is the perfect Father. 

“Jesus said to him, ‘I am the way, the truth, and the life.  No one comes to the Father except through Me’” (John 14:6).

“Jesus said to him, ‘Have I been with you so long, and yet you have not known Me, Philip?  He who has seen Me has seen the Father; so how can you say, “Show us the Father?”  Do you not believe that I am in the Father, and the Father in Me?  The words that I speak to you I do not speak on My own authority; but the Father who dwells in Me does the works.  Believe Me that I am in the Father and the Father in Me, or else believe Me for the sake of the works themselves’” (John 14:9-11). 

The Father Knows and Cares  ~  “Your Father knows the things you have need of before you ask Him” (Matthew 6:8b).  Jesus also said, “Are not five sparrows sold for two copper coins?  And not one of them is forgotten before God.  But the very hairs of your head are all numbered.  Do not fear therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows” (Luke 12:6-7). 

The New Testament has a number of examples of how this is carried out in real-life situations.  Two examples are the account of the Prodigal Son (Luke 15:11-32) and the shepherd who is missing one of his hundred sheep (Matthew 18:12-14). 

The Father’s Love  ~  “When the fullness of the time had come, God [the Father] sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, that we might receive the adoption as sons” (Galatians 4:4-5). 

“For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God.  For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, ‘Abba, Father’ [‘Daddy’ in our vernacular].  The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him, that we may also be glorified together” (Romans 8:14-17). 

Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called children of God!” (1 John 3:1a).

Closing Comment  ~  While it is true that if you never knew your earthly father, or if your earthly father was abusive, the love of the heavenly Father can be difficult to understand.  God, the Father, knows that and loves you intimately.  Don’t let your earthly negative experiences cause you to miss out on all the extreme blessings that your heavenly Father has in store for you—if you come to Him.

~ Robert Lloyd Russell, ABUNDANT LIFE NOW

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3 Ls for Father’s

~ Love – Lead – Live ~

Love  ~  “Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her, that He might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the word, that He might present her to Himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she should be holy and without blemish. So husbands ought to love their own wives as their own bodies; he who loves his wife loves himself.  For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as the Lord does the church.  For we are members of His body, of His flesh and of His bones.  ‘For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh’” (Ephesians 5:25-31).  In other words strive to imitate the pattern you have been given in the life of Christ. 

Lead  ~  “This is a faithful saying: If a man desires the position of a bishop, he desires a good work.  A bishop then must be blameless, the husband of one wife, temperate, sober-minded, of good behavior, hospitable, able to teach; not given to wine, not violent, not greedy for money, but gentle, not quarrelsome, not covetous; one who rules his own house well, having his children in submission with all reverence (for if a man does not know how to rule his own house, how will he take care of the church of God?); not a novice, lest being puffed up with pride he fall into the same condemnation as the devil.  Moreover he must have a good testimony among those who are outside, lest he fall into reproach and the snare of the devil” (1 Timothy 3:1-7).  A man should lead his family with love and respect. 

Live  ~  “But concerning brotherly love you have no need that I should write to you, for you yourselves are taught by God to love one another; and indeed you do so toward all the brethren who are in all Macedonia.  But we urge you, brethren, that you increase more and more; that you also aspire to lead a quiet life, to mind your own business, and to work with your own hands, as we commanded you, that you may walk properly toward those who are outside, and that you may lack nothing” (1 Thessalonians 4:9-12).  In other words live a life of integrity and honesty in all your dealings. 

~ Robert Lloyd Russell, ABUNDANT LIFE NOW