I'm currently reading a book called God Girl by Hayley DiMarco. Gentlemen, her husband wrote the accompanying book God Guy for you. While the book seems to be geared toward high school and college students, I found much of it applied to me and it seems to be a very solid read. (disclaimer, they hold a different view on once saved always saved than I do, so if you encounter that after I recommended the book I can say I warned you).
Chapter One of God Girl (and God Guy, Mac tells me) is on Love. DiMarco covers every type of love, but the part that really really stuck with me was her discussion on how our earthly father is "your shot at a quick look at the original Father." She said that each of us in our hearts "carries a blueprint that points us directly to a pure, untainted love from a father who will never disappoint." She said that God is the "reality that a father on earth should be a reflection of." (Misuse of a preposition her's not mine).
This got me thinking to my parents. I have been blessed with truly amazing and remarkable parents who were a really good "quick look at the original Father." My parents weren't and aren't perfect. I have had conflict with them both. Especially my mother, with whom I had a great deal of conflict. I always felt closer to my father. Now that my relationship with my mother is healed, I find that ironic, since I know now that she was my rock. I relied on her for everything, and she always delivered. I now realize the conflict I always thought was because we were so different, was only half because we were so different, and half because of the ways we were so alike. But I digress.
My father has always been an amazing example of faith, and he has been a very good "sneak peek," so to speak, of the heavenly Father. My father is patient and kind, he is loving, and he wanted to be the first authority in our lives along with my mother (in a good way). He was slow to anger, and usually right. My dad looks out for the people around him, all of them, whether he likes them or not...he loves them all. He is bad at saying no, always putting others first. I'm really grateful that I was blessed with such amazing parents who had it right, and who constantly pointed the way toward the true source of love.
And we are to show our parents respect and honor in return, the same way we are supposed to show honor to our heavenly Father. Exodus 20:12 "Honor your father and your mother, so that you may live long in the land the Lord your God is giving you."
I know you've read Ephesians 6:2 which talks about honoring your father and mother as well, but Ephesians 6:4 also talks about the parent's responsibility saying "fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, instead bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord." My dad got one of these right, haha. But seriously, he got both right. Our fathers are not only supposed to be an innate reflection of God, but to directly point the way to Him.
God is referred to as the Father throughout scripture, although more in the New Testament than in the Old Testament. Deuteronomy 32:6 says "Is this the way you repay the LORD, O foolish and unwise people? Is he not your Father, your Creator, who made you and formed you?" If our earthly father is deserving of respect, how much more is our heavenly father deserving of respect?
One of the blessings in Romans goes as follows:"To all in Rome who are loved by God and called to be saints: Grace and peace to you from God our Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ." Romans 1:7 The Heavenly Father is the source of grace, of peace, of love, and he deserves our love in return. If our earthly father is meant to be good, kind, a teacher, loving, gentle, determined, an authority figure, a role model, a hero; how much more is God?
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