top of page

How I Began To See God as My Heavenly Father

Writer's picture: Tiffani G.Tiffani G.

Learning to see and accept God as my Heavenly Father was tough in the beginning, but it has now helped me to become closer to Him. He's given me a better understanding of what love truly looks like.

Father’s Day this year was really special to me. In the grand scheme, Father's Day should be special every year. But when you’re put into a situation where you almost lose your dad, it really makes you more appreciative of what you have. I would like to dedicate this post to God and share with you how He became not just my Lord, but my Heavenly Father.

"For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father." -Romans 8:15

I wish I could pinpoint the right words that describe what makes someone a good father. If I could take a wild guess I would say what makes a father is their faithfulness and dedication to love and care for their child, over and over, even if they make mistakes and get it wrong along the way.


As loving as he is, my dad didn’t always love us in the best way. His love manifested primarily through gifts and money, leaving me and my sister lacking a bit in other areas like gentleness, compassion, and forgiveness. However, I don't blame him, because he was probably raised the same. I had a picture painted to me of what love looked like and how discipline sounded and felt through my raising. So when I started having the desire to grow closer to God, I found it hard to connect with Him from the standpoint of being my Heavenly Father. I knew He was The Father as of the Trinity, but it was hard to call Him my Heavenly Father, as I did not understand His ways of love, gentleness, forgiveness, and correction.


Since I desired to be closer to Him, it was important to me to overcome this. I didn’t just want to call God, “Father”, out of religious tradition, but I wanted it to come from my heart because I felt and believed Him to be just that. So, to overcome this struggle, I had to come face to face with the wall that was blocking me from connecting to God in this way. Here’s what I did:


I became vulnerable

I opened up my heart to God, expressing to Him all my troubles on how and why it was hard for me to connect with Him. I confessed to Him I wanted this to change, and that I desired to know Him in that special way. Through opening up to Him, He became my Father, who would counsel and console me on anything I brought to His feet.

"Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort; who comforteth us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God." -2 Corinthians 1:3-4

I expressed gratitude

I began to show Him gratitude for everything! From the grass I walked on, to the blessings that manifested in my life, I made sure to outwardly give God thanks and acknowledge Him for His works. I know this might sound like a weird one, but showing gratitude helped me and the Heavenly Father's relationship more than you know. Since I felt conditional love from my earthly father, it was hard to acknowledge God and His hand in my life. I was so focused on what I didn't have that I couldn't appreciate what was right before me. When I started thanking God for everything, big and small, I really started to feel a shift in my heart of appreciation for the Heavenly Father.

"Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning." - James 1:17

I chose forgiveness

I allowed God to take me through learning and walking in forgiveness. I would like to say that this was just a quick process, but in fact, it is more of a journey. Every day I have to wake up and choose to walk in forgiveness towards others and even myself from past & present mistakes. Walking in forgiveness helped me become free of some of the chains that were blocking my deeper connection to God. It also helped me to understand His heart and love towards us, while granting the assurance that as I forgive, I will be forgiven.

"For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you: but if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses." -Matthew 6:14-15

I became a student of love

I learned from God and from wise counsel what love actually looks and feels like. I created a space where my old standards of love could be rewritten and reworked, to abide by the standards that God so graciously set before us in His Word. Becoming a student of love isn't just learning about how other people should love you and what you should accept, but how you should love others as well.

"Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres." - 1 Corinthians 13:4-7

No matter the situation with your father, whether he has passed on, is distant, or present, just know that you have a Heavenly Father, who is willing and ready to love you in more ways than you can even imagine. And to you, God, I thank you for showing me unconditional love and forgiveness in all things. You helped me to love and forgive others, as it pleases You for us to do. Thank you for the gift of life and countless second chances. I love you Dad and I love you Heavenly Father.


0 comments

Commenti


bottom of page