Happy Father’s Day to all the Fathers and soon to be Fathers around the globe. 👏🏾👏🏾

Enjoy this short bedtime read about the attributes of a Father like no other – God.

This month I’ve been studying identity in line with the creation story. On the 6th day, God created man which meant that my focus for the 6th month of the year would be on identifying who I am in Christ.

So, today being Father’s Day, I got thinking of some amazing attributes of God and how that identifies who I am.

I hope that you as well can pick up a few attributes that reflect who you are in Him.

Extremely patient:

2 Peter 3:9

The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.

God is extremely patient. I’m sure you’ve felt it sometimes when you pray for something. It feels like he hasn’t heard or just isn’t willing to respond. In such situations it may just be that we need to be patient. Simply put, this means work with his timing.

This is something I work on everyday.

Loving:

John 3:16

For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.

God is so loving. He demonstrates his love in diverse ways. One of the greatest show of his love is in the greatest sacrifice of sending his Son. That was a huge sacrifice. And he loved his Son so much that he still raised him from the dead.

Acts 2:31

he, foreseeing this, spoke concerning the resurrection of the Christ, that His soul was not left in Hades, nor did His flesh see corruption.

Love is about trust and we demonstrate our own love in the way we trust, have faith and also have hope.

Generous:

He is generous. He does not withhold good things from those he loves and he loves us all.

Psalms 68:19

Blessed be the Lord, Who daily loads us with benefits, The God of our salvation!Selah

Matthew 7:11

If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask Him!

It is now left for us to love him and receive the good things he has promised. One of the greatest ways we can show our love is to give him our all (surrendering). And also give to those around us.

Matthew 25:40

And the King will answer and say to them, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, in as much as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me.’

Faithful:

Hosea 11:12

God’s Charge Against Ephraim

“Ephraim has encircled Me with lies,

And the house of Israel with deceit;

But Judah still walks with God,

Even with the Holy One who is faithful.

There are so many stories and passages on faithfulness in the Bible. This particular passage explains a few things:

That God is faithful

The opposite of faithfulness is lies (deceit). A person who lies is basically saying “I do not respect or regard you”. A biblical example of faithfulness versus unfaithfulness is in Luke 12:35-48.

God rewards those that are faithful to him. Faithfulness has the word faith which means that we must believe. Walking with God takes faith. To continue walking with God is faithfulness and God has called us to walk with him and remain faithful.

Hebrews 11:6

But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.

Holy:

The last attribute but not the least is Holiness.

1 Peter 1:15-16

but as He who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, because it is written, “Be holy, for I am holy.”

God is Holy and has called us to be like him. Holiness simply put is doing right, saying right and in total, living right. Some people may feel this is impossible but living holy is possible as long as we have the right state of the heart and mind.

1. The Heart

Out of our hearts flow our intents. While it may be easy to “control” the mind, it is often more difficult to control the heart. Which is why we hear things like “think with your head and not your heart”. The heart is said to be the emotional faculty while the mind is said to be the logical faculty.

If the heart isn’t right then everything you do will automatically be wrong.

Jeremiah 17:9

“The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked; Who can know it?

Although we need to “guard” our hearts. It is only God that can “change” it from evil to good.

That “change” is one step in the direction of living holy.

2. The Mind

Any thing we do that seeks to please our flesh or do based on worldly thinking cannot please God. Hence holiness is:

Romans 12:2

And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.

3. The Others

Once we have dealt with our hearts and minds, here are a few other things to consider which will let us know if we are living holy:

Psalms 24:3-4

Who may ascend into the hill of the Lord?

Or who may stand in His holy place?

He who has clean hands and a pure heart,

Who has not lifted up his soul to an idol,

Nor sworn deceitfully.

What are we doing with our hands? For example taking bribes; harming others etc.

What do we worship? For example money, material things, other people etc.

What are we saying? For example cursing, lying, false witnessing, blaspheming etc.

To be holy is a process and is attainable by constantly walking with God. Even when we fault he corrects and disciplines us.

Lastly, we need to know that his grace is sufficient. To live holy, we need to, by faith, receive the abundance of his grace and the gift of righteousness.

Romans 5:17

For if by the one man’s offense death reigned through the one, much more those who receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness will reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ.)