Kingdom Fathers
This world needs more fathers. Don't you think? There's a lot of great dads out there, but that's meaningless if you don't have access to one. We need fathers in our homes, in our communities, and in our churches. We need fathers who aren't repeating mistakes, or overcorrecting mistakes made in their family history - fathers who learn from the best Father. We need fathers who are not patriarchs, but sons of the King. Just like this Mother's Day post, I don't know how you can describe the love of a father without mentioning God.
Men don't exactly have it easy in this society, there's a lot of pulls in different directions, to be who someone else says they should be. To be who someone else needs them to be. Each of those paths leads to a false freedom, an empty promise for fulfillment and identity. Men, you will only be free to the degree you comprehend you are loved. Completely, unconditionally, adoringly loved by your Father. There's that old saying, that women become mothers when they get pregnant, and men become fathers when they first see their baby. And while that holds true in many ways, a deeper truth is that men don't step into fatherhood until they see themselves through the Father's eyes.
When a man knows who he is and Whose he is, fatherhood becomes a natural role. He's a father to his own kids if he has them, and he's a father to His Father's kids. There's a lot of goodness and strengths God pours into His sons, as a reflection of His own character. It's all the things you want to call out in your young boys, and pray into your grown ones. This upside down kingdom of heaven doesn't always line up with what the world is saying, but it will always ring true for those who know Abba's heartbeat.
Kingdom fathers allow God to show strength in their weakness. They're not afraid to show their strength, but they're also not afraid to show their weakness, because that's when Abba gets to be known. Fathers react to injustice. They see the school bullies, the orphans & widows, and the innocents abused for the pleasure of another. They see it, and they act. They don't shy away from God given opportunities to hinder the plans of the wicked, whether its across the world, down the street, or in their own backyard. Their inclination towards aggression and war is meant to be aimed at injustice, and any other outlet is a perversion of that. Kingdom fathers are warriors, not worriers. Fear doesn't take root in their lives and they are known for their courage.
Fathers rejoice and remind us to slow down. They balance out the mothers, but are matched in affection. Fathers love with a strength that imparts courage to the receiver. They have a unique way of imparting courage to Abba's kids, and point them to a freedom the world can't offer. Fathers help us take new ground and break patterns set by those before us. They're creative, humble and passionate. Fathers delight in intimacy with their kids. Fathers call us up into a higher purpose, a higher goal. They speak blessings and words of life that reveal Abba's heart. Fathers love.
