Misconceptions of the Father

My earliest impressions of God were distant, holy, and unapproachable. “And the four beasts had each of them six wings about him; and they were full of eyes within: and they rest not day and night, saying, Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, which was, and is, and is to come” (Rev 4:8). This verse conjured up an image of a realm utterly foreign and inaccessible to a mortal. Above my comprehension, the Omnipotent God resembled the distant father I had heard about but never met. When God showed Himself to me, I knew He cared and loved me, yet I kept a distance from Him because He was God, and I was not, “Stand by thyself, come not near to me; for I am holier than thou” (Isa 65:5). Though I grew up within the American individualistic ethos, the thought of a “personal” God was utterly alien if not downright irreverent. As a young Christian, I’ve learned to revere God and honor Him in all things,

A son honoureth his father, and a servant his master: if then I be a father, where is mine honour? and if I be a master, where is my fear? — Mal 1:6

I could not reconcile the image of a “Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort” (2Cor 1:3) with a “God that is holy [and] shall be sanctified in righteousness” (Isa 5:16).

When my father was half the world away, my perception of him was jovial, understanding, patient, and loving, but what I was looking forward to most was having a dad. I spent a decade dreaming of a fairytale; when I met my dad, the cruelty of daily life shredded that fantasy into oblivion. I learned not to trust my ephemeral exuberance. “Christians pray for a visitation from God, but what He really wants is a habitation with us” (p. 61). Frost encountered the supernatural revelation of God’s fatherhood which transformed not only his perception of God as a Father but the full expression of what it means to be fatherly. God’s fatherhood was expressed through Jack’s interaction with his daughter led her to find comfort in “happy thoughts” during moments of distress. “Daddy would not be upset with me” (p. 62). Sarah’s response is a powerful witness to her trusting relationship with her father. Knowing and encountering the Father’s grace and mercy has allowed me to come closer to Him, “Thus saith the LORD, The people which were left of the sword found grace in the wilderness; even Israel, when I went to cause him to rest… I have loved thee with an everlasting love: therefore with lovingkindness have I drawn thee” (Jer 31:2-3). The tenderness of the Lord toward us is beyond human language to adequately express. Frost was overwhelmed by the love of the Father. God’s love was so abundant that he had to find an alternative poetic expression to put those feelings in words for his wife. “Having loved his own which were in the world, he loved them unto the end” (Jn 13:1). Jesus is the personification of the Father’s love for us. In understanding Christ’s love, worship now has meaning, and life is abundant and finally free.