Our Relationship with the Father

Luke 15:20 And he arose and came to his father. But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and felt compassion, and ran and embraced him and kissed him.

Life consists of relationships: our relationship with one another and our relationship with God. 

The value we place on our relationship with God determines how we perceive ourselves, others, and events that occur in our lives. 

For some, past hurts and experiences have tainted their understanding of God. They misunderstand God because they filter God through their experiences and what others have said. A wrong understanding of God will create wrong beliefs about God’s true nature. 

God cannot be understood through our feelings, experiences, or what other people say. God can be understood first and foremost by what He has said about Himself in His Word. 

For example, in the parable of the prodigal son, the first son who left his father’s house and spent all of his inheritance on reckless living didn’t understand the true nature of his own father. The younger son was fully expecting to be rejected by his father, so he thought he could perhaps become a servant in his father’s house. 

But the truth of the matter is that the whole time the younger son was gone, the father was looking for him, waiting for him. The moment the father saw his son, he ran and kissed him and immediately restored him to his rightful position as his son. The father was not ashamed to refer to him as “my son.”

Understanding the true nature of our Heavenly Father is essential for us to live a life free from hurt, shame, and guilt. Knowing our Father’s true nature and how He sees us will enable us to walk in the righteousness that He has made us to be. 

That younger son, as soon as he understood that he was loved by his father, was restored to his rightful way of living. All the embarassment and hurt of the past no longer defined him; his father’s love defined him. 

I want to encourage you today to open your heart to understand the true nature of God and His heart toward you. God’s love for you is not based on your performance, your past, or what has been done to you. God loves you because He created you, and in His sight, you are holy, righteous, victorious, blessed, and more than a conqueror! 

Remember, we love you, and we are praying for you. 

Blessings, 

Chloe