April 20th, 2021: Being Fatherless

 


A young man came and talked to me about his lack of faith in believing in God's love for him. Somehow he has also learned how to sabotage any good things that come his way. The struggle began many years ago when his father walked away from his mother and two sons. He can still talk about that moment with some intense emotion because he was seven when that happened. His story is not unique by any means. He is one among any young man who has grown up fatherless.


There are many studies about the impact of children who grew up without a dad.


A) Emotional security: this happens to both young men and women. Somehow their feeling of being rejected by their fathers has destroyed their emotional security. They feel worthless in some cases. They don't believe that they have any gift or talent. They are constantly seeking approval only to find ways to further destruction in relationships.


B) Social adjustment: Some are angry. Some feel awkward. Some feel like the world is against them. Many don't trust other people and are cynical. Some have problems coping with stress and unexpected life events. Some have learned to withdraw.


C) Poor Performance: Many are struggling with their work and study. The whole notion of self-improvement and self-advancement is an illusion to them. They survive and do the bare minimum to get there. In some way, many of them have failed to exercise their potential.


Although there are more than I can mention, these are the three areas I decide to work on with my young friend. It is even more challenging for him to embrace the concept of God being his Father. That will take some time. For the time being, he needs to experience the security in his relationship with me. How are we going to help people to experience healing in their lives and to challenge them to overcome the lies in their heads is always a matter of prayer and patience for me.


Romans 8: 35-39


"Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? As it is written:

“For your sake, we face death all day long;

    we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered.”

No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord."

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