Seeing my Father in me

When I was a kid people would say to me, “You are just like your father.” I must say that hearing that didn’t really do a lot for me at the time. To me, they were saying that I was like the guy that made me eat everything on my plate and the guy that took a leather belt to my hind-end when I misbehaved. My young mind couldn’t see much past the end of my nose. Now that I am grown up, people still say, “You are just like your father.” At this comment I now beam and feel unworthy. I have gained a much larger respect for my father now that I’ve spent some time walking in his shoes. As I matured I began to realize the hard work and sacrifices that he made for me. I am raising 3 children of my own, just like he did. I am the one telling them to eat everything on their plate. I am the one that must discipline them when they misbehave. I don’t use a belt; it’s usually taking away their Play station, I-pod, computer, or television privileges. It’s because I love them that I do these things. No matter how they misbehave or disappoint me, my love for them is unwavering. I forgive any and all of their indiscretions. I know my kids are just like I was when I was their age. They perceive me as that guy that disciplines them and takes away their cool stuff. It’s funny how things come full circle. I hear people tell my son all of the time, “You are just like your father.” I wonder how he feels about that?

All of this has me thinking. As a professed child of God, would someone ever walk up to me and say, “You are just like your Father”? I am sad to report that the answer to that is probably no. I fail Him on a daily basis. It seems no matter how hard I try, at the end of the day, I come up short. But, you know, I don’t think that God expects us to be perfect. I certainly don’t expect my children to be. I only ask that they try to do their best. I know that they are going to mess up and do things that they shouldn’t, and they will end up coming to me to plead their case and ask for mercy. Of course I will listen to them, discipline them, and forgive them, just like I always do. And, just like my children, I mess up and have to go to my Heavenly Father and plead my case and beg for His mercy. I am so happy to know that He always listens to me, and disciplines me, and forgives me, without fail. My Bible tells me the following: “Be ye therefore merciful, as your Father also is merciful.” -Luke 6:36 KJV

I feel proud when I overhear someone telling my son that he is just like me. Not because I think highly of myself, but because I think so highly of my son. I love him with all of my heart, even with his failures or faults. Our Heavenly Father feels the same way about us. No matter how much we fail or how many faults we have, He still loves us. I know that this is true because I am a living example. If anyone is un-deserving of such love, it is I. But, Praise God, He loves me anyway!

1 John 3 KJV
1: "Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not.

2: Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is."