The world's qualifications for the ideal father vastly contrast with God's qualifications for a father. Even the moralists' expectations for a father contrast with God's expectations for the father. The world focuses on the externals. Is the father a good provider? Does he spend quality time with his children? Does he respect and serve his wife? Does he walk in integrity? These are all good questions. However, God had a more glorious destiny for fathers. He is more concerned with the internal struggles of the heart. Fathers must long for their children. Fathers must love their children like Father God loves Jesus. Their love must be intense, real, constant, and not contrived! You can do everything right without truly loving your children. A real father invests in his children because he LOVES them.
I assume most readers would consider this statement to be obvious. However, most men neglect true emotional love because they are weighed down by the world's false standard. They work hard to be a respectable father, hoping this will honor their families and God. They live stressful lives of service and loose the ability to love.
Would we love Jesus if he worked 9-5 to pay for our nice toys? Then spent a few hours with us as we watched TV together? That isn't our hope. We long for a continual exchange of love before the throne. God wants to be our companion and walk with us in the garden! He wants constant fellowship! He longs for us! He desires us!
Fathers have the opportunity to reflect God's love here on earth. I think one of the clearest ways fathers can show this love is just by looking their children in the face! On this Father's Day, I would challenge men to love their children in deeper ways than they have in the past. Stop living up to a contrived standard outside of you, and make your OWN standard. Find the love that God placed inside of you and ravish your children with it!
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