Our experiences with earthly fathers can shape the way we view God, but they do not define who He is. Where human relationships may have included inconsistency, disappointment, or conditional love, God reveals Himself as a Father who is faithful, approachable, and unchanging. His love is not based on our performance, accomplishments, or ability to measure up—it is rooted in His grace and what Christ has already accomplished for us.

Highlights:

God invites His children to approach Him with confidence and receive His mercy and grace
Our experiences with earthly fathers can influence how we view God, but Scripture reveals His true character
God’s love is not earned through accomplishments or perfection—it is a gift of grace
Through Jesus, we can come before God without fear of condemnation or rejection
Our Heavenly Father is faithful, approachable, and always present in our time of need

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Full Transcript Below:

Approaching Our Father

By Cindi McMenamin

Bible Reading:
“Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need” (Hebrews 4:16 ESV).

Do you ever need help but hesitate to ask someone, unsure of what their response might be? The writer to the Hebrews must have known we would experience that type of hesitation when approaching God, and apparently wanted us to know that we can approach our Father God with confidence and find Him full of mercy and grace when we need help.

This wasn’t an easy concept for me to grasp. Even though I grew up in church, learning about the love and forgiveness of my heavenly Father, I also believed I had to earn my earthly father’s love. I don’t often remember my dad saying “I love you,” but I do remember how pleased he was with my accomplishments, so I often heard him say, “I’m so proud of you.” Thus, it was ingrained in me that if I accomplished much and made him proud, that equated to his love for me.

I also grew up fearing my dad’s reaction if I made a dent in a wall, left a scratch on our car, or broke something of value. I was especially fearful of bringing home a traffic ticket. I learned how to tiptoe around him and to do everything I could to keep the peace at home. When my dad wasn’t under stress or triggered by past pain, he was approachable and very kind to me. Other times, he wasn’t. It was often a gamble.

Today, my dad is a different person. Through the transforming power of God’s Holy Spirit, he has softened tremendously through the years. I know today that he loves me for who I am, not for what I do. Yet, many times how we grew up around an earthly father (or without one) can tend to shape our view of God as our Heavenly Father.

I remember the freedom I experienced when I understood the truth of God’s unconditional love and acceptance for His children. Romans 5:8 tells us: “But God proves his own love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” That means if there was nothing we could do to earn God’s love, there’s nothing we can do to lose His love. It also means we never have to perform or try to measure up to our Heavenly Father’s standards because Jesus already did! We are enough for our Heavenly Father because God sees us through what Jesus accomplished on the cross on our behalf. God doesn’t love and accept us based on our behavior, accomplishments, or what we make of ourselves. His acceptance of us is based on our faith in His Perfect Son (Ephesians 2:8-9; Hebrews 11:6).

Intersecting Faith & Life:

No matter what your relationship is like (or was like) with your earthly father, God’s love, presence, and help are far more accessible to us than any earthly dad’s – even the most loving ones. Hebrews 4:16 assures us that because we have a High Priest (Jesus) who can sympathize with us, we can approach God with boldness and receive His mercy and grace any time we need His help. When we are in a relationship with Jesus, we can confidently approach our Father God at any time of the day or night, and He’ll be there for us. No condemnation. No fear of retribution. Only grace and help in times of need. Every single time. God is consistently merciful, and our approach doesn’t have to depend on His mood or circumstances.

How has your relationship (or lack of one) with your earthly father affected how you see God as your Heavenly Father? God’s attributes are not only a picture of what every earthly father was meant to be, but I believe God longs to make up for what you never experienced with your dad by being your faithful, dependable, loving, and approachable Father. Can you look to Him today to be the Dad you have always wanted, but might never have had?

O Lord God, open our eyes to see You as the perfect Father and the One we can approach with everything on our hearts and minds. Thank You that You always hear the cries of Your children—and Your grace and mercy never run dry.

Further Reading:
Romans 8:38-39

For more on growing closer to God and being able to call Him Father, see Cindi’s book, The New Loneliness Devotional: 50 Days to a Closer Connection with God.

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