Happy Father’s Day.

I don’t envy the role of Dads who are trying to lead their families well in this culture. Their impact is HUGE. And, it’s a challenging time in which to lead a family.

Research has shown us over and over that Dads impact their daughter’s choice in a spouse, and — this is where it gets really heavy — how each of their children perceive GOD.

No pressure.

“A woman’s early relationship with dad, who is usually the first male object of her love, shapes her perceptions of what she can expect and what is acceptable in a partner,” says Jennifer Kromberg, Doctor of Psychology, Psychology Today.

My daughter, Mary, married a quiet, thoughtful young man a year ago. As I have watched them navigate their first year of marriage together, and as I see his unique ways of dealing with things, and how they work together, it all looks so familiar!

Austin, her husband, is a whole lot like her dad, my late husband. Austin is a peacemaker, a gentle problem solver. So was Dan.

My own father was an Army veteran, strict and structured. I was raised in a home with rules upon rules. Lots of discipline, little grace. I’m beginning to recognize just how much this has impacted my ability to comprehend and accept God’s grace.

“Psychologists and counselors agree that our view of our earthly father really shapes our concept of our Father in heaven,”says Pete Briscoe, pastor and president, Telling the Truth.

But what if your Dad was absent, you lost him at a young age, his example was less than Christ-like, the relationship is strained?

You’re not stuck there.

Recognizing this is the first part of healing, and gaining clarity.

And really, Who best to help us in that than God Himself?

In a devotional called “You Belong in God’s Family,” Briscoe outlines a prayer. Pray it. Ask God for help in this! He wants nothing more than to help you understand He is a loving God, whose grace belongs to YOU, his child.

“Our Father, we need You, desperately, to show us where our fathers have influenced our perceptions of You.

We need You, desperately, to empower us to forgive.

We need You to replace lies with truth about who You are, so that we can be free to be all You have created us to be in Christ.

Thank you, Dad, for doing this. Amen.”

Matt Maher & Cody Carnes Guess Classic Christian “Father” Songs