Jesus referred to God as Father more than any other name. He clearly wants us to know what God is like and how he wants us to relate to him. So the logical question would be: Do you experience God as Father?

Sometimes it’s hard to experience or understand God as Father. Some of us may have to release our current definition of what a father is, especially if our personal experience with our earthly dad wasn’t positive. But, when you set aside the performance of your earthly dad and think about  what a good daddy ought to look like, doesn’t a picture begin to form in your mind of a parent who is kind and gentle? Don’t you get an image of someone strong and protective?

I use this picture as sort of a litmus test for whether I’m relating to God accurately or if something has caused me to form an inaccurate perception of him. It works like this…

If I’m feeling condemned by God or distant or perhaps that he’s disappointed in me, then I know I’m not abiding in him-something’s in the way. Good parents don’t use condemnation with their children. Good parents look to bridge the distance between them and their children, not exacerbate it. Good parents don’t use disappointment as a tool, they use affirmation and encouragement-even when they’re correcting and disciplining their children.

I use this “Father Filter” all the time. It helps me quickly to cut off the lies in my head. It helps me to quickly identify when I’m believing our spiritual enemy and not Father God.