Thank You, Dads

So thankful for dads today. I didn’t grow up with my father in the home, but I have been “re-fathered” many times over with a loving step-dad, caring father-in-law, and other “fathers” who I know as friends and mentors. I am surrounded by godly men who are a covering over my life, and I thank God for that!

Whether we grew up in a stable home with a loving father, or an unhealthy home filled with abuse, one thing we can be sure of is that we are known and loved by a perfect heavenly Father.

For dads today, or for moms who are standing in for dads, or for children who grew up alone… if we were sitting together having coffee, which is one of my favorite things to do, this is the encouragement I would share with you:

God loves you more than you realize.

“So we have come to know and to believe the love that God has for us. God is love, and whoever abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him.”

1 John 4:16

God’s love is perfect and complete. We do not have to earn it, or be “good enough” for it. His love never ends.

He does not love us begrudgingly, or in spite of ourselves, He loves us because He is love.

Just as we still love and cherish our own children even though they stumble and fall, God loves us the same even when we make mistakes. And just as our children must at times receive correction, our own loving Father also corrects us.

He does not correct us with punishment that brings fear, for His perfect love casts out all fear (1 John 4:18). He draws us in with His kindness, and that kindness leads us to repentance (Romans 2:4).

God is helping you.

“So do not fear, for I am with you. Do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, surely I will help you. I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.”

Isaiah 41:10

If you are a believer and a follower of Jesus Christ, then the Spirit of God dwells in you richly, and is helping you at all times.

Have you ever had a clear and helpful thought drop itself into your mind, seemingly out of nowhere? Have you ever had an opportunity show up on your doorstep that you never would have expected? Have you ever had joy that you simply could not explain in the middle of horrendous circumstances?

That is the Spirit of God upholding, uplifting, and helping you… because He loves you.

There is no circumstance the Lord cannot overcome. There is no relationship He cannot repair. There is no burden He cannot lift, no fear He cannot break. Search out His Word for your troubles and burdens today. See what Wisdom only He can provide! He will teach you to follow in His ways and in His footsteps… He will show you where to find victory.

Only believe.

“While [Jesus] was still speaking, there came from the ruler’s house some who said [to Jairus], “Your daughter is dead. Why trouble the Teacher any further?” But overhearing what they said, Jesus said to the ruler of the synagogue, “Do not fear, only believe.” And He allowed no one to follow Him except Peter and James and John the brother of James.”

Mark 5:35-37

I want to follow the Lord with everything I have, but sometimes I am challenged by fear and doubt. I have learned, in these moments, to sit down with God’s Word and find out what He has to say about my situation. I will write down as many scriptures as I can find, and then I will begin to read and pray those verses out loud, choosing to believe God over every other voice. This has changed my life completely!

I have learned to step into my fear instead of shying away from it. Fear is a smoke screen used to keep you away from peace, joy, and God’s perfect plan for your life! And in those moments when I cannot bring myself to step in, I give that fear over to God and ask for His help. We are never expected to do it alone, or to follow Him in our own strength.

And just as Jesus only allowed Peter, James, and John to follow Him when He went to heal Jairus’s daughter in the verses above, we too must block out the voices of doubt in our own lives. Instead of letting just anyone into the center of what He was about to do, Jesus protected Jairus and his wife from the wailers and mourners… those overwhelming voices of unbelief.

Along the road of life, there will inevitably be those who will tell us we will never succeed. They will only point out the negative, or they will pepper us with questions based in fear. Just like Jairus experienced, those voices will tell us we might as well give up and stop bothering Jesus with our troubles. It’s too late. Nothing can be done. But if Jesus is telling you to “only believe,” and you know He has a plan for your situation, then you focus on following Him alone, forsaking all others.

God can be trusted. You can take Him at His Word.

No matter what we are facing, God has the answers we need, and they are readily available in His Word. One single spark of belief is all to takes to get a fire of hope going! Jesus said to Jairus… “do not fear, only believe.” That is the encouragement I would give to you today, as well.

Dads matter.

The way our dads raise us often creates the filter through which we see God. No parent is perfect, but we must fight to preserve the welfare of our families and the spiritual and emotional health of our children. Sometimes it’s like we’re feeling our way in the dark when it comes to raising our kids, but at least we’re trying to get it right!

No matter what, don’t give up. Let the truths we’ve discussed here, and so many more you will find in the Bible, work to give you strength and much-needed support. And above all else, pray for God’s help, placing every situation on the table before Him, withholding nothing. Involve Him in the real and raw version of the process and He will step into the middle of your situation with you. He will be with you in your vulnerability because He wants a relationship with you. He will help you in your times of trouble because He loves you.

All we have to do is “Only believe.”