So many people today are walking around with deep father wounds. Emotional baggage from regret, resentment, and broken relationships weighs them down, hindering healthy connections and robbing them of joyful memories.
Today is the perfect opportunity for all of us to pause and celebrate our Heavenly Father—He is a good, good Father!
Yet, many Christians call God “Father,” but don’t really know Him as Father. We’ve been taught to fear, honor, and obey God, but often see Him as distant, angry, and hard to please.
Jesus Revealed God as Father
Jesus didn’t come to just teach moral lessons—He came to reveal the heart of God. And every lesson, miracle, and word He spoke was framed within the context of a loving Father and His beloved children.
We see this in Matthew 11:27 (MSG): “Jesus resumed talking to the people, but now tenderly. ‘The FATHER has given me all these things to DO and SAY. This is a UNIQUE FATHER-SON operation, coming out of FATHER and SON INTIMACIES and KNOWLEDGE. No one knows the SON the way the FATHER does, nor the FATHER the way the SON does. But I’m not keeping it to myself; I’m ready to go over it line by line with anyone willing to listen. (Emphasis mine).’”
If we don’t relate to God as our Father, we risk reducing Him to a distant Judge—cold, demanding, and unapproachable. But Jesus shattered that false image and introduced us to the God who welcomes us as sons and daughters.
Letting Go of False Images
Like Israel of old, many of us carry religious or cultural images of God that aren’t accurate. 1 John 5:20-21 (KJV) warns us:
“And we know that the Son of God is come, and hath given us an UNDERSTANDING, that we may KNOW HIM that is true, and we are in him that is true, even in his Son Jesus Christ. This is the TRUE God, and eternal life. Little children, KEEP yourselves from IDOLS. Amen (Emphasis mine).”
A few of the false images we fall into include:
1. The Grandfather God
You see God as kind, but out of touch—He is hard to talk to and hard to understand, and more of a figurehead than a Father.
2. The Schoolmaster God
Here, you try to earn His approval by getting good grades and avoiding punishment—a performance based relationship.
3. The Judge God
Like Judge Judy, God is seen as stern, watching for mistakes, focused only on guilt or innocence.
4. The Mystical God
Here, God is seen as mysterious, unknowable, and unpredictable.
5. The Distant God
Aloof, unconcerned with your life, somewhere out there—but not here, not near.
But these are essentially false idol and misrepresentations of who God is. These beliefs rob us of intimacy, confidence, and trust.
ABBA Father
Jesus knew God as “Abba” Father—a deeply personal, affectionate term still used by Jewish children today. It expresses trust, safety, and love. It’s not just “Father” but “Daddy.”
Even in His darkest hour, Jesus called out: “Abba, Father, all things are possible for You (Mark 14:36).”
And, Jesus didn’t just reveal God as His Father, but He is your Father, too! After His resurrection, Jesus told Mary, “I ascend to My Father and your Father (John 20:17).” He wanted us to know what He knew: that God is truly our Father—not metaphorically, but in reality.
When he was overwhelmed, troubled, and sorrowful to the point of death, Jesus found strength in knowing God as His Father, and so can we. If you are struggling with sorrow and trouble, let this truth anchor you: God is your ABBA Father. He is not against you, far away, or angry with you. He is with you.
He Is the Perfect Father
James 1:17 tells us: “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.” Our Father is consistent, unchanging, and perfectly good. He doesn’t have mood swings, and doesn’t need to be appeased. There is no hidden agenda with Him!
Today is the day to lay down every false image of God, drop your emotional baggage, and walk confidently in the assurance that you are fully known, fully loved, and completely accepted by your Abba Father. He is your real and true Father—your perfect Father.
So today, take a moment to celebrate Him. Trust Him. Rest in Him.
And let the world through you see, who He truly is—a Good, Good Father!
If you’d like to learn more about how God is a GOOD, GOOD FATHER, check out our monthly product special, “Abba Father,” available for a donation of $20 or more.
Blessings,
Arthur
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