June 20, 2007
“God Our Father”
Dear Friend,
Have you taken time to think about God as a competent and caring Father?
I have six ideas to guide us through a meditation of God’s skills as a Father:
Experience – Every good father brings a lifetime of experience. God brings an eternity of experience.
Flexibility – Good fathers adapt to the needs of their children. God as our Heavenly Father creates teaching moments and life situations to help us grow.
Competence – God is competent mentally, emotionally, spiritually and divinely. He has all the necessary qualities to Father us effectively.
Intelligence – It is not enough for a father to care. He must also be smart enough to guide us through problem solving, experiences and learning situations. God our Father is infinitely wise.
Sympathy – A good father remembers the struggles of being young and sympathizes in nurturing ways. God our Father was never young, but He is sympathetic because He understands us better than we understand ourselves.
Mentoring – Good fathers develop life skills to mentor their adult kids. God our Father mentors us to our full maturity by His Holy Spirit.
Perhaps the next time you pray, “Our Father who art in heaven…” you might run through this list of fatherly qualities and be encouraged by the Fatherly competence and care of the God to whom you pray.
Doc
Dr. Dave Collings
Lead Pastor
Christ Church
