Our wonderful Father

How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! (1 John 3:1)

The Bible says that there is one God who is the Father of us all (Romans 4:16).  He is the very first being, the father of all things. 

It’s important to notice that God is not the ‘mother’ of the universe. Our world did not form inside His body.  There is no umbilical connection between the Creator and His creation.  Our heavenly Father stands separate from His creation; our universe cannot touch Him in any way.  We are not divine beings; we are not little gods who will some day reach our full potential as the Lord’s equals.  And the squalor of our lives, the wretchedness of our world cannot spread its filth to God and taint Him with our corruption.  He is our Father, not our mother—He caused us to have life, but we are not connected to Him through any kind of birth process.

That does not mean, however, that God stands at a distance aloof and uncaring.  He made everything necessary for us to have life, and have it to the full.  The world is filled with bird songs and the soothing rhythm of falling rain.  Our eyes are thrilled with the vibrant colors of flowers and butterflies.  We live in a world where scent, taste and texture give pleasure to each day.  Such extravagances are not necessary for life, they are a gift from the hand of our loving and generous Father.

God the Father made invisible things as well.  He gave us minds that are able to dream up useful tools and beautiful poetry.  He filled us with emotions to give our lives meaning.  He provides intangibles like peace and hope, security and joy.  And He created angels to look after us and bring us messages from His lips.

This almighty God can do anything.  He has suspended the laws of nature on numerous occasions when His people were in desperate need.  He can fix any problem, cure any disease, even raise the dead back to life.  But there is one thing the Almighty is unwilling to do—force us to love and respect Him.  God wants to be our Father through a mutual sharing of affection.  If we reject His fatherly care, we are on our own and the outcome cannot be good.  But if we accept a place in His family, our Father will prove that in Him we have everything we need.