A Perfect Heavenly Father
In honor of Father’s Day, I began our high school age class with a small task. I had them list the characteristics of what they felt identified a good father. I hope they don’t mind, but I want to share the list with you and then add several observations. Their thoughts are as follows. A good father is compassionate, a leader, loving, caring, present, wise, hardworking, humble, selfless, motivating, a role model, protective, a man of God, and responsible.
First, I am humbled by this list because I realize that I fall short of my own children’s needs. However, instead of viewing this with a defeatist attitude, I can realize the truth that I am not perfect and that Christianity, and parenthood, is about continual growth. This is a reminder of areas where I need improvement and an opportunity to keep those items that I struggle with before me in an effort to grow.
Second, our children will often express their needs to us in a variety of ways. My personal observation is that too often we simply do not listen closely. It is easy to fall into mindsets such as, “I know what is best for my children,” or “This is how my parents did it,” and fail to see our shortcomings. Overall, I do know more about what is good for my children than they do. However, that does not mean that I cannot be wrong or that I know everything. Also, even though my parents were great parents, it does not mean they were perfect either. All areas of leadership, including parenting, demand the ability to apply tried and true principles to a very personal context.
Third, aside from one or two of these characteristics that are not applicable to God, our heavenly Father is the embodiment of perfection for what this class of teenagers see as a great father. I find that strange considering the question that I hear most often in my position is, “How do we keep our teenagers from falling away?” Clearly, Christianity is designed to provide EXACTLY what our teenagers desire. They desire families who exemplify the characteristics of God. This is God’s plan as well (Romans 8.29). If they already want what Christianity is supposed to provide, then maybe the answer to the above question requires us to spend more time looking at our characteristics instead of focusing all of our attention on our teenager’s characteristics.
Fourth, the previous thought naturally leads to the question, “Why do so many leave a perfect heavenly Father?” This impromptu survey with the class illustrates a principle that I see everywhere. God is what people ultimately desire. So, why the disconnect? I may not have all of the answers to this question, but I encourage you to meditate on it some. You may be surprised where this thought can lead.
I am blessed every week to teach such a great group of teenagers. To all of the parents of that class that may read this, thank you for allowing me to be a part of their lives. To all of us, we can learn a lot about successful parenting through a prominent biblical principle – LISTEN. Many of our children crave what Christianity should produce. Since our heavenly Father is our Creator, we would be wise to accept that He knows best. Instead of allowing worldly voices and desires to solely dictate “successful parenting,” maybe we should trust God and transform our families into the image of Christ. Who knows, maybe we will all find what we truly desire.