Christian fathers must be like God

People who aren’t fathers have some good ideas about what a good father is like. For example, mothers see what the father needs to do to be a good father.
Too many fathers spend so much time working at the job to make money and they do not spend much time with their children. Fathers need to be with their children. They need to be interested in what the children are doing.
Being there for the children doesn’t mean just sitting in an easy chair. He must be involved. When they are in sports, drama or any activity, a father needs to be a part of that activity. The activity may not be what the father would choose for them. It is so hard to let the child be themselves. Fathers try to make their children enjoy only what they enjoy or consider manly.
Love is important. The heavenly Father is love. Christian fathers must be like God. They must be love. This love isn’t just to be shown to the children, but to their mother. The love between parents is useful for the children to see and know.
Since God is love, that must carry with it such things as forgiveness, caring, providing, correcting and discipline.
I thought to write about fathers from the Bible, but which ones to write about is the big question. We do not know much about Adam being a father. There are others which have very little said about them. Was Samson a father? What kind of a father was Boaz? David had a lot of trouble with his boys. Solomon quit following God in his later years, so what kind of father was he?
Jacob was a deceitful man. He had favorites between his children. He learned that from his father, Isaac. We know very little about Joseph, Jesus’ father. As much as we know of Peter, we know little concerning his children.
Fathers should encourage. Children, no matter what their age, need to be encouraged. Barnabas was an encourager of Christians. Being negative all the time isn’t a good thing. There is a right time to be negative, but being positive is necessary.
Fathers should not belittle their children, old or young. Putting them down can do much more harm than good. Children aren’t perfect and neither is their father.
God’s children aren’t perfect either, although their Father is. What verses do you like to read from your heavenly Father? “But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” Romans 5:8., “and to give you who are troubled rest with us when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven with His mighty angels, in flaming fire taking vengeance on those who do not know God, and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ.” 2 Thessalonians 1:7-8.
Which of these two verses bring you more comfort and encouragement? We need all the verses which God has given us. But we need a balance of these verses. If one reads only those verses which speak of love, one does not have a good picture of God/Father.
The same is true of reading only the negative verses. God wrote His book, the Bible, so we could have an understanding of Him. We can pattern our lives after Him and reach toward perfection.
He loves the world. He blesses his creation. “That you may be sons of your Father in heaven; for He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust.” Matthew 5:45.
The disciples were not perfect in their attitude and thoughts. While Jesus was concerned about his death, they were concerned about who would be the greatest. “Now before the feast of the Passover, when Jesus knew that His hour had come that He should depart from this world to the Father, having loved His own who were in the world, He loved them to the end.” John 13:1.
He understood them and kept them anyway. Children, like fathers, aren’t perfect. We must keep them anyway.
Vernon Curry has preached at the Highland Drive Church of Christ in Poplar Bluff for about 16 years.