Will my REAL dad please stand up?

Mike has a pretty skewed picture of God. Why? Because Mike's dad is a top executive with a Fortune 500 company. He travels a lot and doesn't spend much time with his family. Mike thinks God is like his dad: distant and unreachable.




Jenn has a pretty skewed picture of God, too. Her dad is an alcoholic, whose violent rages make the family run for cover whenever he starts drinking. Jen thinks God is like her dad: angry and unloving.

Paris's picture of God is skewed for different reasons. Her dad buys her everything from the latest compact discs to the trendiest clothes. Paris thinks God is like her dad: someone who'll give her whatever she asks for.

Steve's picture of God is also skewed. He never even knew his father. His parents weren't married when he was born. His father never wanted anything to do with his son. Steve thinks God also has abandoned him.

What Mike, Jenn, Paris, and Steve are doing is pretty common. They're basing their ideas about God on what their earthly fathers are like. A lot of people do that. But such pictures of God are often pretty messed up.

No matter what Mikes's dad does, God promises to be with us always (Hebrews 13:5). No matter how Jenn's dad acts, our heavenly Father loves us tenderly and unconditionally (Isaiah 54:10). No matter what Paris's earthly dad may do, her heavenly Father may not always give her everything she wants, but he will give her what's good for her (Jeremiah 32:40). And even though Steve doesn't have a father in his life, God promises to be a "father to the fatherless" (Psalm 68:5).

Your relationship with your earthly father may be good, or it may be poor. Your relationship with your dad may be stable, or it may change from time to time. And it may be hard to separate your image of your heavenly Father from your experience with your earthly father. But no matter how good or bad your relationship with your parents may be, remember that your heavenly Father only wants to do good to you. And he will-if you let him.