God Never Takes Off the “Father” Hat

Although I became a teacher first, becoming a Mom has shaped the way I teach. I am an “all in” kind of person, so it’s hard for me to take off my “Mom” hat. Some of my favorite conversations at school involve my colleagues asking not what I think as an instructional coach, but what is my hunch as a Mom. I can’t help but bring a Momma’s heart to the children I am blessed to teach. 

As I interact with students, I think, “how would I want someone to interact with my children? How can I give that same level of focus, intention, hope, and encouragement to the children in my care?” The more I learn about the heart of God, the more I come to understand the reason why I can’t take off my “Mom” hat.  We are created in the image of God, so the more that we grow in our relationship with Him, the more He shapes us to become more like Him, our Heavenly Father.

One of my favorite Bible teachers, Kelly Minter, recently released her Bible study: Encountering God: Cultivating Habits of Faith through the Spiritual Disciplines. In week 2, she focuses on the spiritual discipline of prayer. She reminds us that when Jesus demonstrated for us how to pray, in what we often refer to as “The Lord’s Prayer,” He taught us to refer to God as our Heavenly Father. *Cool fact: “Matthew used the phrase “Father in heaven” (and “heavenly Father”) twenty times in his Gospel, a distinctly Matthean theme he was passionate about making” (pg. 54). Matthew was determined to help his readers know deep down in their souls that the Fatherhood of God is an essential characteristic of God. 

When Jesus saves us from our sins and becomes our savior, we are officially adopted into God’s family. He is our Abba Father. In Romans 8:15 (NIV), Paul teaches us that: 

The Spirit you received does not make you slaves, so that you live in fear again; rather, the Spirit you received brought about your adoption to sonship. And by him we cry, “Abba, Father.”

When we make mistakes, our Abba Father gently reminds us to come back to Him. He graciously and mercifully forgives us and teaches us how to live more abundantly on the path He has called us to take. In a world that tries to convince us that we will never be enough or achieve enough, God loves us unconditionally. Not for what we do, but for who we are in relation to Him, because of His son Jesus. 

With as much as we love our children, our Heavenly Father loves them so much more with a perfect love that never fails. In Matthew 6:8, Jesus teaches us that our Heavenly Father knows what we need before we even ask Him. If we go a chapter further in Matthew 7:9-11, Jesus continues to teach us that as our Heavenly Father, God does not withhold from us or try to trick us. We can trust His ways and timing. 

During the last few days, I found myself telling my own children to trust me and understand when I say “let’s do that later on” or “no, that’s not our best yes’ ‘ that I make these decisions with a loving heart and forward thinking about how our decisions might impact us. My decisions are not made flippantly or in isolation. As soon as those words came out of my mouth, the Holy Spirit reminded me that our Heavenly Father does an even more perfect job of answering our prayers with a “no” or “not yet” than we ever could as parents. He is all knowing and always works things out for His glory and our good. His decisions always take into account the big picture of our lives and how we fit into His bigger story of how we can live to tell others about His love. I am so thankful that no matter what, God will never take off His “Father’s” hat. Let’s live in the confidence of His love today!

Helpful resources: 

Chris Tomlin’s Good, Good Father

21 Days of Prayer and Fasting resources

Encountering God: Cultivating Habits of Faith through the Spiritual Disciplines by Kelly Minter