Perceptions of our earthly father can distort and obscure love from our heavenly Father.
Do You Have A History Of Fatherlessness?
Fatherlessness is rampant and comes in many forms, such as physical absence, emotional absence, or love absence. Check out these statistics to see some of the problems that come up when children grow up without a dad. Perhaps, as you read this post, you will see yourself in the statistics or spot your own children in them. If you do, I would encourage you to welcome God into your moment and keep reading.
Overall, children with upbringings that lack a positive father figure carry deeply rooted mindsets about themselves and others that become obstacles when it comes to developing healthy relationships as adults.
This series is intended to examine some of the fruits of fatherlessness and inspire the worthwhile pursuit of relationship with our heavenly Father. We'll ask ourselves: what if the pain brought on by a father figure in our life is standing in the way of knowing God as Father? You may know God many ways, such as Lord, Savior, Shepherd, etc. But what if soul-deep wounds left numb, scarred holes? Would you know there is a hole in your heart if you can't perceive it as empty? This is the question of questions. Fatherlessness is cruel because we may not know what we are missing and we became numb to its absence. We don't know what we don't know.
God gave children fathers so they would have an example of what He is like as a Father.
Fatherlessness denies us that example and substitutes it with a void, while denying a switch ever happened.
Past Affecting Present
Hidden scars from our past have the potential to deeply affect our present perspective. Time, in fact, does not heal all wounds. Sometimes those wounds obstruct life-giving relationships, even with the Father Himself. But they don't have to remain walls. With prayer and help, old hurts can become plot twists in your story. God intends to use every hurt and sorrow given to Him as an opportunity to make beauty from ashes.
The Author of Redemption
While Satan is always at work stealing, killing, and destroying, the always-creating-God is writing an encyclopedia of His redemptive work, with your story part of His accomplishments against the enemy. Your story provides the context of you as an overcomer; it is YOUR living example of God's power, proving to the world the Father's love truly is the greatest transformative force on earth.
While tempting, don't throw away and dismiss the painful memories. Those are the reasons God puts His transformative power into motion. If we want to see the majesty of redemption at work in our lives, we need it in the overcomer context.
In Jesus' personal story, we need the context of sin, betrayal, arrest, flogging, crucifixion and death to fully appreciate the redemption work He was doing for man. One day you will share how God worked in your life and it may start with a sad beginning. But the ending can be joyous. Your decision to heal begins with you and ends with God. We can't change the past, but we can chose what to do with it.
It Is Darkest Before The Dawn
Revisiting memories from the past can sometimes trigger very real, intense emotions. We should walk into painful pasts with eyes wide open and prayed up with God holding our hand. Sometimes we can navigate them with Him alone, sometimes we need help. God will provide you with what you need if you ask Him. Don't hesitate to talk to a friend, talk to your pastor, or reach out to find a counselor near you. All are viable ways God uses to help and heal. All the numbed pain that sifted down between the days over time has the potential to reveal God's power, in the context of your life. Your history awaits to be redeemed.
My Father in heaven, I have wounds from my past I would like to explore with You. I thank You for Your reassurance that You will never leave or forsake me. Please take my hand and guide me as Your child through the things that are standing in the way of me experiencing You and as You want me to.
I want to be burden-free and I know that freedom not only comes through You, but You promise it as a gift.
Thank You that there is no mountain too big for You and I trust in Your power and strength to level everything that stands in the way of our relationship. Please bring to mind anyone that I can reach out to for help as we walk through this together, because I know that Your Spirit indwells other believers.
Remind me daily of my need of You and that this journey, while difficult, is a worthwhile pursuit.
In Jesus' Name.
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