"Our Father in heaven, hallowed be Your Name." -Matthew 6:9
One of the most central images of God in the Bible is that of the heavenly Father. By speaking of God in this way, the Bible conveys a sense of His love, His care, His protection, His provision and most of all His deep personal relationship with each of us.
Many of us have had fathers that provided us with this kind of unconditional love and care. But many of us have other images that are conjured up by the word "father." Some of us were abused physically or psychologically by our fathers. Some of us had fathers who had big faults or weaknesses. Some of us had fathers who were distant or uncommunicative. And some of our fathers weren't there at all.
These experiences with our "earthly" fathers can have a big impact on our relationship with God -- without us even realizing it. For example, someone whose father was a harsh and unaffectionate disciplinarian may have trouble understanding and receiving God's forgiveness. Another person whose father was very easy-going and permissive may have difficulty understanding why the Lord wants us to stay on the "narrow path."
Everyone has these subconscious preconceptions and misconceptions about God when they first come to Him. That's why it's important for us to recognize what they are and get past them. We know what it's like to develop an impression of a person -- only to find out later on that we were wrong. The same is true in our relationships with God. Getting to know Him is a process. It's a great and rewarding process, but you have to but some effort into it. That's what Jesus encourgaed us to do: seek, ask and knock.
There are several ways to get past any distorted view we may have of God. The Bible offers complete insight into His nature and His attributes. Mature, experienced believers can also help us improve our understanding. Most importantly, God has provided His Holy Spirit to instruct us and give us the mind of Christ.
So take a look at your own relationship with your own father, and think about how that may be influencing the image you have in your heart of God -- for better or worse. If your father had some shortcomings, it's important to both recognize them and forgive him for them. And it's also important not to project those shortcomings onto your heavenly Father. He is perfect, complete and sufficient in all things!
