Experiencing the Father’s Embrace This Christmas
Photo by Kelly Sikkema
This year I met several people who lost their dad at a young age—but it wasn’t necessarily because he passed away. As kids they were abandoned physically or emotionally. Or some were adopted and never knew their dads. Whatever the reason for the separation, these individuals grew up without the father figure they needed.
In the past I would notice certain behaviors in those who had grown up without fathers, but it wasn’t until I read Experiencing Father's Embrace by Jack Frost that I truly realized what was going on. Many well-meaning people don’t know how to love others or themselves because they didn’t have a good model to replicate while growing up.
It is never too late to receive from our heavenly Father the love we’ve always needed.
When our three children were little, they would play the roughest games with Leon without any fear. They knew they wouldn’t get hurt.
Even though they didn’t know him like I did—they were only a few years old and didn’t have nearly as much experience as I did with him—they could see what I saw: that he’s trustworthy, dependable, gentle, and wouldn’t put them in harm’s way. So they took risks with him and threw themselves into the melee with delight.
That’s the type of trust we need with our heavenly Father as well, but this trust doesn’t always come easily.
I’ve observed that people who have trouble trusting God or who feel like He doesn’t love them generally didn’t have a good relationship with their earthly fathers while growing up. In most cases, they were abandoned, ignored, neglected, physically or emotionally abused, or simply not loved the way a child needs to be loved.
If you’re in that category, this Christmas season would be an excellent time to pause, look at God your Father, and figure out who He really is. This could be the year everything changes for you.
If you’ve never seen a good example of a father’s love, you can take your heart to your heavenly Father and ask Him to fill it up for you. He is gentle and humble, and He won’t send you away. Instead, you’ll find peace and rest with Him.
Matthew 11:29 is a beautiful Christmas verse, filled with the heart of God:
Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. (NIV)
Here are a few things you can always count on with the Lord:
He is good.
He will be gentle with your heart.
He is worthy of risks.
He won’t hurt you.
In healthy environments, little children adore their natural fathers.
They somehow understand their dads are there to love, help, and encourage them. A child will jump into a father’s arms from a high ledge or will laugh hysterically as they’re thrown into the air and caught—all because of this trust.
That’s the invitation God the Father is offering you this Christmas.
To become whole, we need to address who God is to us, what we think He wants, how we feel about Him, and—most important of all—how much He loves us.
If we haven’t experienced good earthly examples of His love, we will need to practice trusting His love.
And so we know and rely on the love God has for us. God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in them. (1 John 4:16)
No matter who we are, where we’re going, or what we’ve done, our starting point is God’s perfect love. Through this love we will be able to see the world more clearly. His love is what we rely on.
This Christmas, do you understand how much you delight the Father’s heart?
Jesus had a deep, abiding relationship with His Father. He trusted Him the way a little child trusts their earthly father. We need that same kind of trust, but how do we get there when we carry so much baggage?
If you feel far away from God right now, here are a few things you can do this Christmas season:
Ask Father God to reveal His love to you. He can do this any number of ways, but probably one of the easiest ways to learn about His love is by studying the different verses in Scripture that talk about His heart for people. Read those verses, write them down in your journal, and purposefully apply them to yourself. “This verse is for ME. He’s saying this about ME.”
Anytime you catch yourself thinking God doesn’t really love you or want to take care of you, take that thought captive and speak the truth instead. “God is FOR me. He wants to take care of me. He is my kind and gentle Father. He is delighted in me.”
If you have doubts about how much the Lord cherishes and delights in you, reach out to someone. Find a pastor, friend, parent, or teacher who knows God well and can help guide you into a better understanding of His love for you.
I know many people who are in search of a great and epic love story—but they don’t know how to find it because they haven’t fully accepted the unconditional love of Christ.
God loves you without rules or limitations. He loves you perfectly, and Christmas is a great time for you to deeply, truly experience His affection for you.
Practice letting go of any misconceptions you’ve adopted about the Lord’s character. He’s a good Father—just what your heart needs.
Interested in reading more about dating, relationships, and your walk with God? Here are a few articles on related topics:
For more information on sex, marriage, and finding the person who is right for you, get a copy of Becoming the One by Salomé Roat. Click here to learn more.
You can also order the book in Spanish.