Monday Read Romans 8:14-17
The Bible often applies the term “Father” to God—but in a different way than we might sometimes expect. Paul says the Holy Spirit teaches us to address God as abba. Abba was the Aramaic word that little children used to address their fathers. It’s a close equivalent to English words like “daddy” or “papa.”
- Paul, trained as a rabbi, drew heavily on the Old Testament. Psalm 68 describes God as a father to the fatherless. Did you have a warm, close bond with your father, or was your experience of a human father more distant, even hurtful? How does the invitation to relate to God as abba speak to your heart?
- Paul contrasts a fearful spirit of slavery with the privilege we have of being adopted asGod’s own children. What role has fear played in your spiritual life? Have you sought to please God by “trying harder”? Pray to your heavenly abba, and ask for the fearless, trusting life of the Spirit this passage describes.
Tuesday Read Matthew 7:7-12, Luke 11:9-13
Because of the crucial role parents play in most lives, we tend to imagine that God as father means God is like earthly fathers we’ve known. As adults, we do better to form our image of what it means to be a father from seeing how God relates to us. Jesus stressed that God is far more generous to us than even the best earthly fathers are.
- When we read Jesus’ words, we quickly realize that we sometimes define “good” differently than God does. Have you ever seen a child who strongly wants something (e.g. a fourth ice cream cone) that the child’s father knows would not be good for the child? How does this shape your understanding of Jesus’ promise?
- Luke gives a more specific version of Jesus’ promise. God, he says, will give the Holy Spirit to those who ask. How important is the Holy Spirit’s presence in helping fathers (as well as extended-family “fathers”) be all they can be in children’s lives? How do you open your life to the Spirit’s presence?
Wednesday Read Deut 6:4-12, 20-25
Fathers are teachers by word and example. We often hear during baptisms at Resurrection that a child will learn what a Christian man looks like by observing the father. These passages show that God wanted (and wants) parents to actively teach their children what God has done for them.
- What specific actions does this passage list to help parents teach God’s unfailing love and saving power to their children? How can you live into the spirit of these verses through specific actions that fit 21st-century America? If you don’t have children, whose life can you help shape through these actions?
- Verses 10-14 remind us that we are often most prone to forget about God when thingsare going well in our lives. To what extent has the economic downturn changed life for you and your family? In what ways is your trust in God’s faithfulness being challenged by these difficult times? In what ways is it growing?
Thursday Read Matthew 10:32-39
God values family life. Yet Jesus also warned about making family ties more central than our loyalty to God. At times, family members may seek to pull us away from God’s purposes. Jesus’ bluntness on the subject may make us squirm. He quotes Micah 7:6, saying that family members can become our “enemies.”
- When have you felt the tension Jesus describes in these verses? What are someways, besides just denying God, that family pressures and demands can conflict with your ability to let God lead in your life? How have your family ties built up your relationship with God?
- At the end of this passage, Jesus speaks about taking up our cross to follow him. How can dealing with opposition to faith from a father or a child feel as painful as carrying a cross? How are you able to love your family fully, without making idols of them by making them more central in your life than God?
Friday Read Matthew 2:13-23
Joseph, Jesus’ earthly father, played a crucial role in protecting the young infant and his mother. Jesus’ heavenly father taught Joseph through dreams. Joseph obeyed the commands carefully. God trusted Joseph to be alert to the meaning of his dreams, and faithful to do all he could to protect his unique baby boy.
- As Matthew tells it, to be Jesus’ father Joseph had to make major sacrifices. He disrupted his life and spent time in a foreign land to insure Jesus’ safety. What sacrifices have you made, or seen fathers make, for their children? What feelings, positive or negative, do these sacrifices create?
- God guided Joseph through a series of dreams. Have you ever had a dream that gave you new insight, or that you believed might have come from God? What are other means, besides dreams, that God can use to guide you and give you wisdom? How do you access those channels to open yourself to God’s direction?
Saturday
Personal Application: Fathers—review your fathering. What new insights did you get this week? Identify an area of fathering you feel good about. Identify an area where you want to do better. Prayerfully plan specific growth steps.
Non-fathers—who are or were your main father figures? Did they approach God’s ideal for fathering? If so, thank them. If not, claim Psalm 68’s promise. Ask your heavenly abba to daily heal the hurts you got from poor fathering.
Family Activity: Create a family journal. To prepare, read Deuteronomy 6:4-9 aloud as a family. God expects families to talk about life and faith, share Scripture, teach one another and reach out to the community with God’s love. Select a sturdy journal at a local book or retail store. Place the journal in a central location in your home along with a few pens. Encourage family members to write Scripture passages, prayers, mission experiences and summaries of family faith discussions. Remember to date each entry. From time to time, read the journal entries aloud as a family. When you have filled all of the pages, save the journal for future generations and begin again. Thank God for the privilege and responsibility of sharing your faith with your family.