The Ultimate Dad!

Wade Boggs once said “Anyone can be a father, but it takes someone special to be a dad, and that's why I call you dad, because you are so special to me. You taught me the game and you taught me how to play it right.”

Fathers have the opportunity to play such a huge role in their children’s lives. They are an example to their children, they show their sons how to treat others and their daughters how they should expect to be treated. But there is one thing that for me, will always determine the difference between a Father and a Dad.

That one thing is simply love.

When it comes to God, this is something I have found easy to forget. Despite the song, “Yes, Jesus loves me… the Bible tells me so”, that I must have sung a hundred times. I easily manage to fall back into that mindset, where I think that God is with me, but He is currently holding this thing that I did against me, so He can’t possibly love me today, He can’t possibly want to be near me today.

But as parents, you would know that no mistake your child has made, could possibly stop you from loving them. You may not be impressed with them, but you love them more than they realise. Likewise, 1 John 3:1 says “See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God!” God loves us more than we can imagine too!

God doesn’t hold grudges, He loves us and wants the best for us. But when I say He loves us, I want you to know that it isn’t the flawed love that humans show, God’s love is perfect! In 1 Corinthians 13:4-7, it explains love is. “Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonour others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.”

Now I don’t know about you, but having someone I can trust, having someone who is always patient with me, having a God who doesn’t hold my mistakes against me, a God who is kind, who looks out for me, and is as patient with me as I need. That is a God, that I always want around. When I wake up, knowing that even though He is God and literally knows everything about me. He still chooses to love me, to forgive me, and to never give up on me.

No matter what I have done or what I will do, He doesn’t give up. He doesn’t stop loving me, and He hasn’t and won’t ever stop loving you!

How incredible is it that we can know completely, we can whole heartedly trust that God isn’t simply waiting for us to make a mistake to say “I told you so”. Instead He is there ready with arms open wide to accept you and to love you UNCONDITIONALLY!

I couldn’t ask for a better God, a better heavenly Dad. He is definitely the ultimate, and loves you and accepts you no matter what.

Hope Born, Chaplain