CHRISTINA FOX | EDITOR

When my son was little, he was prone to wander. Those days, he lived more in his imagination than in real life. This often led him away from us when we were in a crowd.

I remember during a visit to Disney World I urged and cautioned my son in the importance of staying beside us as we navigated the crowded park. Yet not long later, I watched as he meandered away from us.

Rather than going after him, I kept an eye from a distance. I wanted him to realize what he had done. So I followed him, ensuring he was safe, but waited for him to stop and look for us. Eventually, he did realize he had gotten separated from us and I could see him searching the crowds, a look of worry stretched across his face. He spotted us and ran up to us in relief. I then reminded him of the rule of staying together. And he did so. At least for the rest of that trip.

Prone to Wander

So often as a mom I grow frustrated when I have to teach and reteach my children the same lessons. I find myself impatient with how easy they forget. After all, how many times does one have to get lost in a crowd before he learns his lesson? How many times does a lesson have to be taught before it sticks?

In my own heart, far too many times.

Every time I find myself impatient or irritated by a wandering or forgetful child, the Spirit gently prompts me to look at myself. He holds up a mirror and I see my own wayward heart. I remember my own childish and wandering ways. I remember my own rebellious teen years. And I realize how even now I am distracted by the cares of this world and wander from the Lord to do my own thing. I see how prone I am to temptation and how quick I am to follow windy rabbit trails that lead me from him.

As I see my own heart, I see too my Father’s grace and patience toward me.

Our Good Father

My Father in heaven is longsuffering toward me. He suffers long for the sake of love. He pursues me no matter how many times I wander. He showers me with grace and forgives me time and time again. No matter how often I stumble and fall, he picks me up and puts me on the path to life again. I forget his goodness and faithfulness and he is always ready to remind me as many times as I need. What a good and gracious and perfect Father!

The name “Father” isn’t merely a metaphor we use to understand how God cares for us; it’s who he is to us. God is our Father; we are his children. In eternity past, he chose us to be his own. “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love he predestined us for adoption to himself as sons through Jesus Christ” (Eph. 1:3-5).

Upon our salvation by grace through faith, we are adopted into the family of God. We become his sons and heirs. “But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons. And because you are sons, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, “Abba! Father!” (Gal. 4:4-6). We have all the rights and privileges of being his children. When we cry out to him, he hears us. When we are hurt, he helps us. He provides for all our needs. He teaches us what it looks like to be a part of his family. He disciplines us when we wander. He keeps us in the shelter of his wings. And because we are his heirs, all he has is ours.

Like Our Father

Genesis 1:26 tells me I am an image bearer of the One who created me. I image him when I do what he does. I image him in my work, in my creativity, in my decision making. I also image him as a parent. God is my Father and when I parent my children as he parents me, I image him to my children. I show them who he is.

When I respond to my children with patience and forbearance, I show them who their Father is toward them. When I teach them the way of righteousness, I show them their holy and perfect Father in heaven. When I provide for their needs, I point them to their Father who knows what they need before they do. When I love them not for what they do but simply because they are mine, they learn more of their Father’s redeeming love for them in Christ.

As a parent, I’ve found myself muttering, “How many times do I have to tell you…teach you…show you…?” But the more I remember how my Father is toward me, the more it shapes how I respond to that question: like my Father does for me, as many times as it takes.

*This post is inspired by Christina’s new book, Like Our Father: How God Parents Us and Why that Matters for Our Parenting. Learn more about the book here.

About the Author:

Christina Fox

Christina received her undergraduate degree from Covenant College and her Master’s Degree in Counseling from Palm Beach Atlantic University. She is the content editor for enCourage and the author of several books, including A Heart Set Free: A Journey to Hope Through the Psalms of Lament , Closer Than a Sister: How Union with Christ Helps Friendships to Flourish, Idols of a Mother’s Heart,  Sufficient Hope: Gospel Meditations and Prayers for Moms , A Holy Fear: Trading Lesser Fears for the Fear of the Lord, Tell God How You Feel, and Like Our Father: How God Parents Us and Why that Matters for Our Parenting. She prefers her coffee black and from a French press, enjoys antiquing, hiking, traveling, and reading. She lives in Atlanta with her husband and two boys where she serves in women’s ministry at East Cobb PCA. You can find her at www.christinafox.com, @christinarfox and on Facebook.