“We are God’s children...we cry ‘Abba, Father’.” (Romans 8:16,15)

Those of us of a “certain age” grew up with TV shows where fathers were successful, well-respected heads of loving families. Think “Father Knows Best.” Literature gave us similar models such as Atticus in To Kill a Mockingbird. Many of us had similarly supportive and loving dads, so it’s easy to transfer those experiences into thinking about God as our Father. 

But what about those families with cruel and abusive fathers far from these fictional paragons of virtue? Thinking of God as Father has to be fraught with psychological barriers for such children, and adults as well. Yet, that is how God chooses to relate to us: as a Father. Once we come to faith in Jesus, He makes us His children (v.16). God wants to be the father some of us have never had, showering love and bestowing blessing, affirmation, and grace where none ever fell. We need not fear now (v.15) for, through His spirit, God assures us we are fully loved and accepted. We are, in fact, co-heirs (ponder that!!) with Christ Himself.

Does perfect family life result then? It didn’t for those TV families, for Scout, or for us. And not in our spiritual families either. We live in a fallen world, Christians squabble, and troubles will come. In fact, Paul tells us we’ll only share in all Christ has “if indeed we share in His sufferings” (v.17).

Wait! I thought I was leaving a painful father-child relationship by coming to Christ. More suffering now? Well, yes, but the critical difference is sharing in Jesus’ sufferings. The more we align our lives with Him, the more the world will resist us. What did Christ suffer? As a child, likely scorn and name-calling. Expect to endure some of that as His child. Moved with compassion for the lost, Jesus wept and felt their distress, suffering with them. If we are in His family, we will do the same. While we’ll likely never experience anything remotely like the torture of the cross, Christians can and do suffer physically as they witness.

But we won’t suffer alone; we have the family of God: fellow believers who comfort each other. Furthermore, our suffering isn’t pointless. We’re promised that as we “share in Jesus’ sufferings, we also share in His glory” (v.17). The Father’s priceless love, new-every-morning mercies, and gracious forgiveness are ours, for we are His children.

God is far, far more than a perfected Jim Anderson or Atticus Finch, and this Father does know best. 

Have you found it easy to relate to God as your Father? If so, thank Him for giving you an earthly father who modeled that. If not, think about what you always wanted from your earthly father. Love? Read 1 John 3:1. Good gifts? Read James 1:17 and Romans 8:32. God is ready to fill those shoes for you.

To read or re-read the overview/summary of this week’s passage, you can click here.