A pastor once shared his childhood struggles with his kids – how he hawked in the streets without shoes. His children, shocked, asked, “Daddy, what happened to your father?” They couldn’t fathom suffering under a father’s watch. Having enjoyed their own father’s provision, they assumed every child should.
Friend, how are you navigating life? With your Father or without Him (John 5:19-20)? Physical fatherlessness may be unavoidable, but spiritual fatherlessness is a choice. At new birth, God became your Father. You can either embrace His fatherhood or keep struggling alone (Hebrews 12:9).
Many forget we have two fathers – our heavenly Father and our earthly delegatee father (Matthew 6:9). When you only see your earthly father, you inherit his limits. If he is absent, you feel stranded and helpless. But your heavenly Father never fails (Psalm 27:10).
Living without consciousness of your heavenly Father makes you an orphan on earth (James 1:17). Those children understood fatherhood so well they couldn’t imagine suffering with a father present. What if you approached God with that same confidence (Psalm 68:5-6)?
For some, the issue is not an absent father but a refused fatherhood. They think they have outgrown the need for a father (John 5:30). They partition life – letting God handle the spiritual while they handle the rest. This is why they struggle. You need to acknowledge God in all your ways (Proverbs 3:5-6).
God also gives you kingdom fathers to reflect His Fatherhood (1 Corinthians 4:15). Recognising them is also your choice. Avoid the orphan spirit that rejects guidance, the prodigal spirit that despises fathering, and the flattering spirit that claims perfection (Luke 15:11-16, Dan 11:32). Don’t let life ask you – what happened to your Father?
‘Demola Awoyele
Lead Pastor,
Destiny Impact Church
Akure, Nigeria
