A Father's Day Reflection

Written by Nathan Cheung

As I reflect and meditate on the word Father and the definition of a Father, I realize that everyone has their own definition from their life experiences. My earthly father is a hard worker, provider for the family, and stoic, one who seldomly displays emotions. While everyone may have their own adjectives to describe their earthly father, we all have the same heavenly Father. He is the same as he was in the past, as he is today and will be tomorrow. He deeply craves a relationship with us, despite our misgivings and rejection.

Like the prodigal son who asked for his inheritance early, squandered it by living according to the ways of this world, we reject our heavenly Father by pursuing our fleshly desires and worshiping our own gods. But despite this, our heavenly Father still loves and accepts us.

“But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him.” Luke 15:20

He is waiting for us to return, celebrating this reunification, and reappointing us to our former place.

Being a new father to my son Jacob, whom we recently brought home from Taiwan over a year ago, has opened my eyes and my heart to a differently reality in life. From the first moment I laid eyes on him, I was amazed that I could unconditionally love someone this much. It has given me a new understanding of a father’s love. Gone are the days of a quiet home, gone are the days of a meal where I can have a conversation with my wife, and gone are the days where I have time to myself. Although, my life has radically changed with the addition of this new little one into our home, I can’t imagine life without him.

As the cliché goes, in a heartbeat, I would lay down my own life or even kill to protect my child, but to sacrifice his life? That seems unfathomable to me. How great is God’s love for us then? “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” John 3:16

“For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb.” Psalm 139:13. Our heavenly Father knew us before we were even born. He deeply desires us to be a child of God. My question is: do you know our heavenly Father? What is your relationship like with him?

“Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God— children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God.” John 1:12-13