God as Father.

Pheonix28

Slave to Christ.
I'm starting a new 'study' with the boys group I lead this week, and the first week is on 'God as our Father.'

I've been studying the subject most of the week, so lets discuss it.

'God as our Father'
Go.
 
This year I had my mind blown at a men's conference. One of the speakers told us the story of his childhood and his relationship with his dad. He then told us about the struggles he had with relating to God. The two stories dovetailed scarily.

He said that when we are kids, we expect our parents (especially godly parents) to be like gods for us. But as our parents are not God, they will be inadequate to the task and their failing will come through. If we keep the expectation going, though, we end up transferring their failing onto God.

At the men's conference, we sat around in circles and told each other two things: how we saw our dads when we were growing up, and how we saw God now. For me in particular it was mind-blowing. The ways I related (and failed to relate) to God were entirely wrapped up in how my dad acted when I was young. I had to repent a bunch and God opened my eyes to see how he is not my earthly father.

This is not to say that God is not our Father. He is. That is to say that our earthly fathers are less fathers than God is.

Umm, I had a point that I was posting here so that this reply wasn't just "see how smart Neirai is" --- and I've forgotten it. How huge is my ego! At one point I was going to say, if Pheonix28 allows (it's his thread) perhaps we should each state what our dads are like and how God is different. But I'm not sure now.

The point of the above thread is that, if you're struggling with a God trapped in a dad-sized box, there is hope. And, Pheonix, I pray first that your study brings God's revelation power with it, and that young men our set free from seeing God as a reflection of their dads, and into the truth of seeing their dads as a dull reflection of who He is.
 
The point of the above thread is that, if you're struggling with a God trapped in a dad-sized box, there is hope. And, Pheonix, I pray first that your study brings God's revelation power with it, and that young men our set free from seeing God as a reflection of their dads, and into the truth of seeing their dads as a dull reflection of who He is.

Thanks. This is something that is so often overlooked, and it is something I think many people have struggled with, or are still struggling with.
 
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