Abba, Father

Abba is a good Father

As a father has compassion for his children,
so Yahweh has compassion for those who fear him. – Psalm 103:13, Names of God version

The word translated compassion in the verse above is raham in Hebrew. It connotes loving deeply, having mercy, having tender affection, having pity or compassion.

This is the character of our Father, our Abba.

Abba? That’s what Jesus called him. In Hebrew, father is ab. Abba is the equivalent of Daddy. Jesus valued the time he spent with his Abba.

Consider this:

And in the early morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house, and went away to a secluded place, and prayed there for a time. Mark 1:35

Jesus is God, right? So who did he pray to? Himself? No. He prayed to his Father.

He prioritized that relationship so much that he got up while it was still dark, while everyone else slept, so he could spend time with Abba.

The Godhead is a unity of the Father, the Son, and the Spirit. Built into God’s very essence is community. And community is essential for love. Before creation, before time began, before “In the beginning,” The Father was in fellowship with the Son. The Father loved the Son, and the Son loved the Father.

Abba  is used three times in the New Testament, and all three times it’s followed by Father. In Mark 14:36, Jesus cries out to Abba Father in the Garden of Gethsemane on the worst night of his life. When he needed comfort, he ran to Abba.

I Romans 8:15 and Galatians 4:6, Paul exhorts us that, by the Spirit, we, too, cry out, “Abba, Father.”

Why do we cry out to Abba Father? Because he’s the Father of mercies and the God of all comfort.

Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ . Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and the God of all comfort. He comforts us in all our affliction  so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any kind of affliction, through the comfort we ourselves receive from God. – 2 Corinthians 1:2-4

With as wonderful as our Father is, why did I struggle so much to write this post?

What about my earthly father?

Our earthly father has tremendous influence on how we view our Heavenly Father. Was your father hard to please? Harsh and judgmental? Abusive? Unpredictable? Distant or absent? Absentee fathers are more common than ever. Today in the U.S., more than 23 million children live in a single-parent household.

Bob Sawvelle says, “Our revelation of God must be based on His Word—not our life experiences.” That’s a great reminder, but it’s easier said than done.

His website has a good inventory of father types – does your father fit any of them?

My father did the best job he could with the knowledge and influences he had. Nevertheless, at times, he was angry, physically and verbally abusive, and hard to predict. I was scared of him. I coped by trying to keep him happy and avoiding him as much as I could.

What effect did that have on my concept of Abba Father?

I projected my father’s character on Father God, and it crippled my relationship with him. When you’re certain you’ll get a smackdown every time you disappoint your Father, you tend to pull away, right? So I did my best to do the right things and, above all, stay out of God’s way.

How heart breaking. That’s not what he wants for us, at all.

I pray your father was loving and caring and present, a rock-solid refuge for you. Guess what? That’s just a taste of what we have in Abba Father. And if he wasn’t those things? Know that Abba Father can satisfy the deepest longing of your heart for a father who cares. Who’s there for you. Who’s all in.

He’s your refuge.

He’s present with you.

He’s your hope.

He offers peace.

He sees you and knows you and loves you, anyway.