Daddy Issues

Hebrews 12:5-11

New International Version (NIV)

⁵ And have you completely forgotten this word of encouragement that addresses you as a father addresses his son? It says,

“My son, do not make light of the Lord’s discipline,
and do not lose heart when he rebukes you,
⁶ because the Lord disciplines the one he loves,
and he chastens everyone he accepts as his son.”^[a]

⁷ Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as his children. For what children are not disciplined by their father? ⁸ If you are not disciplined—and everyone undergoes discipline—then you are not legitimate, not true sons and daughters at all. ⁹ Moreover, we have all had human fathers who disciplined us and we respected them for it. How much more should we submit to the Father of spirits and live! ¹⁰ They disciplined us for a little while as they thought best; but God disciplines us for our good, in order that we may share in his holiness. ¹¹ No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it.

Lately I've worked toward grasping the concept of God being my Father. It is still one that baffles me a bit. I have a good relationship with my own father, but I wouldn't necessarily describe us as having an open and communicative relationship. I rarely go to him with my problems (I save those for my mama) and although we have our little jokes and things, we often don't have a whole lot to talk about.

But, I've had to begin to wrap my mind around the fact that I am not just building a relationship with God. I am building a family life with him...my father! And that entails he and I talking on a regular basis and equally as important, I have to be willing to be corrected by him. As a mother I understand those things, because I love, communicate with, and correct my own children. But knowing that God feels the same way about me seems to still be a bit foreign.

I read recently about a woman who says sometimes she has to imagine herself crawling into her "daddy's" lap and just spending time with him. Talking, crying...whatever it is she needs to do with her father at that moment. That's a comforting concept, that I'm trying to establish in my own time with God. I know what kind of comfort it brings me as a mom to do that for my own children, and hey let's face it; I sometimes miss being a kid who can run to my parents when I am hurting or I just want someone to talk to.

If I open up my mind to it, I can still have that kind of relationship with God and that's exactly as he wants it. And honestly, when he dishes out a little spanking I am able to endure that too, because it's all for me to be a better person.

I have no issues understanding God as my creator, Jesus as my savior, and The Holy Spirit as my comforter, but I pray that one day I can think of God as my very own father, without it being a forced mental concept. And also as awesome, Jesus is my brother...As the baby of the family I'll admit there is something really nice about knowing that "big brother is watching" (sounds like another blog for another day...tomorrow perhaps). I pray that God will grow those 2 relationships into a natural flow in my thought process and your own. I like thinking of them as my family verses some great beings out in the universe.