Like Father, Like God

by Chuck Cleveland

It is commonly accepted in Christian circles that people tend to attribute the characteristics of their parents (especially our fathers) to God, and often that’s a bad thing. It certainly was for me.

My earliest childhood memory is that of my parents concluding an argument in the kitchen, with my mother retreating into their bedroom, crying. I joined her and attempted to comfort her (at least as much as a three or four-year-old could for an adult). My father entered the room, made a disparaging comment, and quickly departed.

The memory ends there, but the effect did not. Given occasional reinforcement through the years by other criticism, the message was indelibly stamped on my soul: My father is disappointed with me.

Lacking the emotional ammunition to combat that early impression, I limped through life trying to construct my own psychological support system. Unfortunately for me, my limited successes were insufficient to overcome that sense of fatherly rejection.

I had eventually given up on receiving unconditional acceptance from my father, and I transferred that negative expectation to the Lord. I was inclined to think of myself as disappointing [you see the connection] to the heavenly Father because I did not constantly measure up to what a “mature Christian” should be.

For years I functioned as if there were a sliding scale for that nebulous state, and its attainment involved a little more love and obedience than I was currently demonstrating. It was as if I were approved by God on a probationary basis, and the probation would last as long as I did.

So how was a substantial measure of success obtained over the spiritual struggle I’ve been describing? Simply put, it was by establishing in my soul that God the Father fully accepted me in the Lord Jesus, and I was secure in his love.

The process of healing began by bringing feelings of fatherly rejection into conscious awareness. After identifying those painful feelings, I was able to be more accepting of my earthly father. Afterward, I was freed to receive, unfiltered, the good news of God’s acceptance of me.

To reinforce that thought, I’ll share selected verses from the first chapter of Paul’s letter to the Ephesians, which I’ve expressed in the first person.

Praise be to the God and Father of my Lord Jesus

Christ, who has blessed me in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ. For he chose me in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In him, I have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins. There’s one final point. Before my father died, he wrote me, saying, “If I don’t make it, I want you to know I am proud to have you for a son. I have and do love you.” Amen and amen!

About The Author Chuck Cleveland lives in Newnan, GA and has written for three area magazines, as well as the local newspaper. He has been a Christian for over 50 years.