As we focus on fathers this week after Father's Day, let's turn to a statement Jesus made to point out the primacy of God, the Father, in our lives:  "   ⁹And do not call anyone on earth ‘father,’ for you have one Father, and he is in heaven."  Matthew 23:9 NIV

I typically refer to my earthly father, as "Dad."  For most of my life as a parent, our daughters have called me "Daddy."  I am intentional about not calling earthly fathers, "Father," simply because of Jesus' admonition to reserve that name for Our Heavenly Father.  What's the significance in Jesus' statement?  In its context, Jesus call for us not to call anyone on earth, "father," He also told us not to call anyone Rabbi or Teacher as well, because we have one rabbi and teacher.  Jesus' point is clear:  while we have role models on the earth, they are all limited and fallible.  Only God is perfect.  Thus, we reserve titles such as Father, Rabbi and Teacher for Him.  It shows respect and recognizes the old saying that there is a God and we are not He!

I like reserving the name "Father" for God, the Father, from a practical standpoint, because it helps us to distinguish between the perfect and imperfect when it comes to that relationship.  My dad was far from perfect, and I have been far from perfect as a parent.  When we taught the girls about God, we made it clear that He never makes a mistake, is never wrong, and is the authority on every matter.  Abby came home from school in kindergarten and told us that her teacher had something that was wrong.  When she explained, and the teacher WAS wrong, it was the perfect opportunity to make the point that while teachers do their very best to help us learn and grow, they don't know everything and they make mistakes.  It allowed us to teach that while teachers, parents and other people need to be respected, we must remember that only God and His word is always right and true.  That has made it a lot easier to keep God in His proper place when earthly authorities have challenged the veracity of God's word over the years.  We simply go to our "rule":  God is always right.  Anything that contradicts that truth is wrong.

God is always THE Father, THE teacher, THE authority in our lives.  When we realize that it allows our dads (and moms!) and teachers to guide us, but it also reminds us when they fall short  that we still have an anchor, a compass and a guide for living.  It reminds us that while every human being will eventually disappoint us, and sometimes hurt us, God, the Father will not.   What important lessons to remember at every stage of our lives!

Let's pray:  Heavenly Father, Thank You for being perfect and for always being there for us!  Glorify Yourself in our lives today, but empowering us to know and live Your will in the power of the Holy Spirit. This we pray in Jesus' name.  Amen.