3 Secrets Fathers MUST Know (From God Himself!) (Matthew 3:17)

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“And lo a voice from heaven, saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.” (Matthew 3:17, KJV)

Jesus came to reveal the Father (John 14:8-10). That means if we want to know the kind of Father God is, we should analyze the nature of the relationship He had with his son. Earthly fathers can learn many lessons from the way God related to and treated His son, Jesus Christ. With this declaration in Matthew 3:17, God revealed the three fathering foundations that nurture children of impact and influence.

#1 – Acceptance [“This is my son”]

Jesus did not work for acceptance, but He worked from a place of acceptance. He did not work for His Father’s love but because of His Father’s love. The basis of this kind of acceptance is not based on performance but on sonship. For example, in Luke 15, the Prodigal Son is kissed and hugged before he says any word of apology.

When sons are not fathered in this manner, they will always try to get acceptance from somewhere else. They will look for it from people they respect, peers, jobs, and all other wrong places. Ultimately, this leads to an identity crisis, which breeds insecurity and compromise. Jesus did not compromise His stand to please the crowds because His Father told him who he was -His Son. Fathers with a sense of acceptance raise sons and daughters who know who they are!

#2 – Affirmation [“Whom I Love”]

To affirm means to validate, assert, or confirm that it is true. When sons and daughters don’t get this from a father, they fall into the trap of performing for applause and the accolades of others. That creates a breeding ground for compromise because they will do anything to get the crowd to like, love, and recognize them.

In due course, the opinions of others will begin to matter more than their opinion. Jesus was not moved by the cheers or jeers of the multitude because His Father had given him official recognition and sanction that He was loved and accepted.

#3 – Approval [“With him, I am well pleased”]

The approval of a father should be based on intimacy in private fellowship and not on his son’s or daughter’s performance in public. This kind of approval creates the right foundation for correction, protection, mentorship, and guidance. For instance, after Adam and Eve sinned, they hid from God, the Father.

God’s response of mercy, where He made clothing for them and promised a savior from the consequences, is a picture of a father with a sense of approval. With such a father, when we go astray, we don’t need to hide or run away, but we can come to him for admonishment and restoration.

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