I Am Your Father

If you read that title in your best Darth Vader voice, you are my kind of people. We are HUGE Star Wars fans in our household and every summer we re-watch the trilogies for family movie night. One of the most iconic moments in the whole saga is when the evil Darth Vader reveals that he is indeed Jedi in training Luke Skywalker’s father. Luke’s entire sense of self comes crashing down and he’s left with more questions than answers about who he really is.

In response, Luke lets out a perfect cinematic scream of “NOOOOOOOOOOOO! That’s impossible”! Talk about some family drama? If you know anything about Star Wars you know this Skywalker family has got some MAJOR issues that stretches across decades and many generations.

(If I just happened to ruin this entire movie series for you, my deepest most sincere apologies but it’s for a good reason I promise! Hang with me!)

As we enter into our May series that is all about families, I can’t help but think of all the times I have let out my own yell of “NOOOOOO” and “That’s impossible”, at the expense of my own family issues. Anyone else been there?

Family, no matter what it looks like, is difficult to navigate. Things are always changing, always shifting. What was ok yesterday is not ok today. What we said last week doesn’t mean anything this week. What worked last month isn’t making any difference this month. It can feel like an intense game of tug of war where one minute you’re pulling that rope with ease and the next your face first in the mud with no idea how you even got there.

Here’s the really good news though.

God doesn’t change.

His ways are solid. His ways are steady. His ways are trustworthy.

David asks God this exact thing when he says:

“Teach me to do your will, for you are my God; may your good Spirit lead me on level ground”. Psalm 143:10 NIV

No matter if you’re single, engaged, married, divorced, widowed. No matter if you’re a whole family, a step-family, a blended family. Whether you have one child, 10 children, no children. Whether you have been married for less than a year or married for 20 plus years…God wants your household built on the solid foundation of Christ. All other ways are unstable and fleeting.

See, you may change. Your family may change. Your ideas of family may change. But God has never changed.

The God that brought Ruth to Boaz is the same today. (Ruth 4:13-16)

The God that gave Sarah a baby is the same today. (Genesis 21:1-3)

The God that brought redemption to Joseph’s family is the same today. (Genesis 45:1-28)

The God that brought the prodigal son home is the same today. (Luke 15:11-24)

The God that restored Gomer to Hosea is the same today. (Hosea 3:1-5)

The God that transformed Saul to Paul is the same today. (Acts 9:1-19)

The God that forgave the adulterous woman is the same today. (John 8: 1-11)

God is at work telling a story of restoration, redemption, and miracles through your family. No matter what that family may look like in your current phase of life. Don’t buy into the lie that you need to have it all together or be the “right kind of family” for God to use it. Instead choose to believe that Gods foundation is steady, safe, and secure. Choose to believe that He is for you and your family. That his ways are better than yours. That everything else you may try and build your life on is sinking sand.

God is saying to you today, that you matter to him. That you are his precious child. That he cares deeply for you. He longs for a relationship with you.

How do I know that?

Because God also said, “I am your Father”.

And He’s really good at being a Father to you and your whole family.