Tribute to a Father’s Heart

John 3:16 is universally regarded as the key verse of the Bible; many a time we focus on the Son and tend to overlook the One who sent Him. The meaning of the word ‘begotten’ here means ‘the only one of its kind’. This provides a glimpse into the heart of God the Father. His love is so abundant and unconditional that He did not spare even the life of His one and only Son as a free gift of eternal life for us. Such is the perfect compassion of our heavenly Father’s heart. Even earthly fathers utilize their time and energy for the sake of their children’s future. Their sole hope is that their children will become someone someday. Even when the black sheep of the family goes astray like the prodigal son, the father’s love endures still, and hopes and prays for their child to return. It is unfathomable to compare the size of a father’s heart.In the Garden of Eden, God the Father was the first missionary after Adam and Eve committed the original sin. This lesson has been handed down through the generations and today also, the father is the first missionary in his respective family. A father who is committed to the Lord automatically nurtures great men and women for the Church and society. How precious is the role of a father’s strong heart! Personally, I experience the love overflowing from my own father’s heart on a daily basis. He is benevolence incarnate – my role model. He has earned my respect because of his exemplary life. It is wonderful how God uses a finite being to induce an impact of such great magnitude in me. Actions indeed speak louder than words – my father possesses the testimony of never tasting unhealthy and bad products his entire life. This virtue of his keeps speaking to me time and again. And as I witness the silent sacrifices he makes to keep our family together, I am left utterly humbled. A father’s heart is truly filled with unfailing love. There are only two commandments out of the ten which Moses received from God that ends with a promise and one of them is to honor our father and mother so that we may live a long life, full of blessing. Time and again, both in the Old and New Testament, the Bible highlights on the theme ‘father.’ What the Word of God emphasizes, we also need to emphasize. The comparison between the love of our heavenly Father and our earthly one also keeps recurring. This speaks volumes on the priority value God places on fathers. God must put in extra wisdom and care when He fashions fathers’ hearts. The innocent eyes of a child perceives his/her father as the superhero of the family – the one with all the right answers to endless questions, the strongest and most affectionate, the one worthy to be adored and emulated. For adults, fathers are the one we turn to for sound advice and honest criticism, for direction and admonishment, someone who always holds our best interest in his heart. Indeed, a father’s heart is indescribable, irreplaceable and impeccably perfect. God presents us this priceless gift without a price. It all depends on whether we are willing to embrace and treasure it – this precious father’s heart. Husezo Rhakho Electrical Colony Kohima