Visiting with a friend recently, I was reminded of how our relationship with our earthly father is such a vital part of our life. We grow up with dads and our perception of that relationship all too often determines how we view our Heavenly Father.
If our dad was demeaning and overbearing in nature, we tend to view our Heavenly Father is the same light. To break the bonds of those feelings and thoughts it often takes time and a strong determination to retrain our minds to think of our Heavenly Father as loving, caring, and nurturing.
This resurrection life you received from God is not a timid, grave-tending life. It’s adventurously expectant, greeting God with a childlike “What’s next, Papa?” God’s Spirit touches our spirits and confirms who we really are. We know who he is, and we know who we are: Father and children. And we know we are going to get what’s coming to us—an unbelievable inheritance! We go through exactly what Christ goes through. If we go through the hard times with him, then we’re certainly going to go through the good times with him! (Romans 8:14-16 MSG)
You might not be able to relate to the photograph above because you weren’t afforded the opportunity to have a father figure you could trust or enjoy spending time with. But God wants to be near you today.
He wants to carry you on His shoulders to see new things and experience blessings He has waiting for you. He wants you to know you can trust him and that He thinks you are precious. My friend, don’t get bogged down in the past. Let it go and find your confidence and worth in your Heavenly Father.
Be adventurously expectant, hop on God’s shoulders and ask “What’s next, Papa?”
