Repost: Fathers and Pictures of God

This was originally posted October 17, 2012. It's being reposted in honor of Father's Day.

Pictures of God

I've been thinking lately about legacy. When Jesus talked about the love and care God has for His children, he liked to paint a picture of a loving father. Of course, we all know the story of the Prodigal Son. And there's Luke 11:11-12, in which Jesus reveals the generosity of God: “Which of you fathers, if your son asks for a fish, will give him a snake instead? Or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion?"

Or, in the book of Hebrews, where we are taught about discipline:

Moreover, we have all had human fathers who disciplined us and we respected them for it. How much more should we submit to the Father of spirits and live! They disciplined us for a little while as they thought best; but God disciplines us for our good, in order that we may share in his holiness. (Hebrews 12:9-10)

The point is, when it comes to how our children view God, that picture is painted by how they view us.  When it comes to learning about a relationship with God, they take their cues from our relationship with Him, and our relationship with them.

To this day, I measure myself against the standard set by my father. To love his wife and children, to be a man of integrity, to love and obey and worship his God, to submit to the authorities placed over him, to enjoy the life and the family that God has given him. 

It's a high standard, and it has informed the way I view our Heavenly Father as well. 

The question that keeps me up at night is, when my own son is 35, what will his picture of God look like?