The Father’s Bond

Father’s Day is around the corner. It’s a season to reflect upon our individual and family journeys with the fathers in our lives – past and present. Whether you know it or not, every living person has reason to be thankful for the blessing of a father in their life. That blessing is there in some way, form or shape. At the most basic level, we are thankful for the miracle of life itself – there can be no physical existence without the seed of a father. We are present in this world because a man fathered us – planned or unplanned, it doesn’t matter.

Even our Lord Jesus Christ was born of the seed of God’s Word: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God…the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.” (John 1:1,14).

Now that you are here on planet earth, what next? The answers to this question give us greater reason to celebrate fathers. Earthly fathers come either as physical or spiritual fathers. Regardless of the form in which an earthly father takes, his role is one – to be a vessel of comfort and character to his children. Unfortunately, not many fathers know this; and so they are busy trying to win the attention of the world at the expense of building bonds with their children.

The bonds between fathers and children are intangible yet designed by God to be the strongest channels of security. Yes, God is our only source of security; but His first and foremost channel of extending security to us is that of an earthly father. It is for this reason that God has planned sex and parenting to take place within the boundaries of a stable relationship called marriage. Thank God that even in cases where an earthly father is no more or has become an absentee father, He finds ways and means to supply Himself to us as our security. Your church family – the local body of men and women, boys and girls who confess Jesus as Lord and Saviour – is one of those channels.

As believers, we receive the comfort and character for successful living from being secure in God – having a mature bond with God’s Spirit through whom we experience His ever-present and everlasting unconditional love; love that never fails and always drives out fear in all of its forms from our lives. Before departing this earth, Jesus assured His disciples then (and now) that they will never be at a point where they are by themselves: “…I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever; even the Spirit of truth…I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you.” (John 14:16-18)

So, if you recognize gaps in the measure of comfort and character your earthly father offered you, rest assured and stay thankful. Your heavenly Father is waiting for you to give Him permission to close those gaps. Thank God for partnership. Someone, somewhere prayed and provided for you to be introduced to Jesus Christ – the only door to your perfect Father – the all-loving, ever-present and all-able God.

Joseph ENYIMU