Celebrate your Heavenly Father

“Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls.” Matthew 11:29 NLT

As I opened up an email from Runner’s World yesterday titled, “100+ Last-Minute Father's Day Gift Ideas That'll Still Arrive on Time,” I couldn’t help but shake my head. Father’s Day for me (and countless other people around the world) is not a day I look forward to. It’s not because I don’t have an earthly father (we all have one of those), but that I have one that didn’t fulfill the role a godly father is called to fill… to love his family, to lead his family, to provide for his family (more than just child support), to impart wisdom to his family, to provide correction to his children, and to demonstrate forgiveness and tenderness among other things. Thus, as you can imagine, this is a holiday I might have skipped celebrating altogether had it not been for having a Heavenly Father who loves me and was and is all the things my earthly father was not. 

Sadly, there will be millions of children and adults around the world this Sunday who are struggling or still struggle from the effects of either having no father or having one that was abusive, angry, disparaging, callous, cold, uncaring, or emotionally absent. Which makes it the best time to share with them the message that where their earthly father fell short, their Heavenly Father did not. And the day is a cause for celebration because every believer has a Father in heaven who is gentle with them and helps their souls find rest. Furthermore, He is a Father who can teach us how to leave behind the “yoke” of disappointment and depression the lack of an earthly father might have left and move on to a new life in which we are confident that we are loved, and ready to press on to a brighter future with the One who has promised to never leave us nor forsake us. 

So, if this resonates with you today and has you feeling a bit sad, take heart my friend. You have a Father in heaven that loves you more than you could ever think or even imagine—so much so that He wants to be your Father both now and for eternity. And He wants to bind the wounds your earthly father left and heal your broken heart. Will you let Him? 

Heavenly Father, we thank You for being the Father that has never left our side. Lord, help us to understand that we are worthy of your love, regardless of how our earthly fathers made us feel. Help us to heal from our pasts and to move on in the knowledge that we fearfully and wonderfully made by a God who loves us so much that He would send His one and only Son to walk among us and then to die for our sins so that we could spend eternity with You. It’s in your precious name we pray Jesus. Amen. 

Happy Running!