A View of My Father
Leadership Lessons Book-by-Book – Isaiah
My father was a hard-working man. He was a certified public accountant and had an office in the Chinatown area of Honolulu. He would leave the house around 8am and be home by 6pm. His busiest time would be during tax season which went from January all the way into the summer, as he not only did personal tax returns but corporation tax returns as well. Throughout this time he would usually come home late or he would bring his work home. I would see him burning the midnight oil, at the huge desk in our living room, clicking away at the adding machine, with papers spread all over the place.
My dad tried to be at my childhood events whenever he could. I do remember him at a first-grade performance when I did a keiki hula to the song Pearly Shells. When I was into model rockets, we bought a small kit from Radio Shack, built it together, and used the car battery from his old yellow Dodge to launch it. He was there for my high school and college graduations. For one of my birthdays, he took me to the old Bloch Arena near Pearl Harbor to watch some professional wrestling.
But outside of those events, I don’t remember him at my basketball games or speech festivals. I don’t blame him. He grew up in a home where his father worked hard and that mentality was passed on to him and his two brothers. The way he showed love was by providing for the family and in that respect, he showed a lot of love.
I remember being taught that how our father showed loved to us was how we will understand the Father’s love for us. For a good season of my early Christian life, I believed my heavenly Father should be seen as one who provides but was distant. That meant He was far away but always kept an eye on me. There was no strong sense of intimacy. However, over the years, that view has changed. I grew to understand how God the Father was a God who desired to be involved in every area of my life and that He was close. He wasn’t just a Provider, but a Protector, a Friend, a Listener, a Transformer, a Healer.
The book of Isaiah shows a God who is very involved in human affairs. This prophetic book was written during a chaotic time in Jerusalem’s history. The kingdom had been divided between Israel and Judah. Enemy nations were constantly seeking to conquer the land of Judah. There were Messianic prophecies that speak of the coming King who would conquer all of God’s enemies. Thus the Jewish people were looking for a Savior who would destroy all those who were against the Lord. We know today that the Suffering Servant had to come first but we still await the return of Conquering King. But even during Isaiah’s time, God wanted to assure His people that He was near.
“Do not fear, for I am with you;
Do not anxiously look about you, for I am your God.
I will strengthen you, surely I will help you,
Surely I will uphold you with My righteous right hand” (Isaiah 41:10).
“When you pass through the waters, I will be with you;
And through the rivers, they will not overflow you.
When you walk through the fire, you will not be scorched,
Nor will the flame burn you” (Isaiah 43:2).
How you view the Lord will affect your leadership. Do you see God as a distant Father, who bought your salvation but remains distant from the rest of your affairs? There’s a good chance you will do things on your own, without seeking the Father’s guidance and direction. You will fail to appreciate the need to be patient in your ministry decisions, believing you can do whatever you desire, whenever you desire. However, if you see God as an intimate Father, who desires to be involved in your everyday affairs, there’s a good chance you are not only seeking intimacy with the Father on a constant basis, but you are also willing to wait to discern His direction and will only move when He says to move. You will be able to trust His sovereignty, control, and timing. You will be able to trust His ways, even when things don’t make sense.
A quick side note. One of the best gifts I can give my children is my time. This is particularly important if one of your children’s love language is quality time. Because my father wasn’t always there for me, and I saw how it affected my relationship with my heavenly Father, I want to be there for my children, not only for their special events but for their everyday events, so that their relationship with God will have a good foundation. Sometimes the best ministry we can do is not during the weekend services but during your personal life, when you spend time with your children. Learn to be intimate with your children and it will reap spiritual fruit for the future.
Leaders, the level of intimacy you have with your heavenly Father will determine the type of spiritual leadership you walk.
Questions to Think About:
• How was your relationship with your earthly father? Has that affected your view of your heavenly Father?
• What is your view of God? Is He distant? Is He close? Is your view of God reflected in your times of prayer?
© Gary Lau 2015
All rights reserved. This article may not be distributed, forwarded or duplicated without prior permission from the author.
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