“In that day you will ask in my name, and I do not say to you that I will ask the Father on your behalf; for the Father himself loves you, because you have loved me and have believed that I came from God” John 16:26-27 ESV).
It’s not uncommon to hear horror stories of a childhood filled with physical and/or emotional abuse doled out by an angry, bitter, and often drunk or high, progenitor. My heart breaks for children thus affected. Often they are too afraid to speak, let alone ask for the things they need. I have personally seen the emotional and physical destruction that such abuse can still inflict even 50 or 60 years later.
It’s difficult for them to see God as loving because the word Father is associated with Him. Scriptures like Matthew 7:11, “If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask him!” (ESV), only widen the rift between perception and reality.
It’s surprising simple to see with clarity other aspects of God’s personality. God is a Lawgiver (Exodus 20:1-17, Isaiah 33:12). God is a Judge (Genesis 15:14, Ecclesiastes 3:17, Revelation 20:11-15) . He is a jealous God–though not in the same manner that we are jealous–(Exodus 20:4-5). “Notice that God is jealous when someone gives to another something that rightly belongs to Him” (https://www.gotquestions.org/jealous-God.html). Is the God that we see in the Old Testament the same God that we see in the New Testament? The short answer is that God does not change, but our understanding of Who He really is has changed from the time of Adam until the time of Christ Jesus.
In a similar fashion, our perception of father needs to evolve. We need to see God the Father, based not on our experiences with our earthly fathers, but rather on what a perfect father would be like.
We’ve heard that “Jesus loves me” forever, but in the Gospel of John, Jesus tells us that the Father Himself loves us! In fact, He loved us so much that he sent His Son to save us from our sins (John 3:16)! And there cannot be a Son without a Father. Regardless of how you have experienced father, God is infinitely better! And He calls you to forgive, and find the love and acceptance that you have been searching for in Him.
If you doubt the Father’s love, or would like help finding the love and forgiveness you long for, please find my email address in my profile and get in touch.
Blessings on your day!
Skipping Stones 
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