And I will be your Father, and you will be my sons and daughters, says the Lord Almighty.” 2 Corinthians 6:18
Well, it was just a thought…but it was a good one. The other day I was chatting with someone and the topic of having or being a godfather popped into the conversation. I think the person said they had one or was one…I’m not really sure. You see, I am a Baptist, and I am pretty sure that is not really a Baptist thing. I don’t think there is a rule against it, but I do know it is rarely brought up. I’ve been pastoring for forty years, and I don’t remember it coming up more than a couple of times…not counting the times when we were talking about the movie.
All of this kind of got me thinking about what does a godfather do. I mean just in case someone asked me to be one, I thought I needed to be ready. According to dictionary.com, “A godparent is a person who has pledged to help with the upbringing of a child, especially in a religious way. In some denominations of Christianity, when a child is baptized, they are sponsored by (usually two) adults who pledge to help in this way.” Well, there you go.
If you take the definition from dictionary.com, it actually sounds like a pretty good idea. We all know that when our first baby comes along, we discover the little boy or girl doesn’t come with an owner’s manual. It turns out you are pretty much on your own, so a little help is a great idea. Someone said, “It take a village to raise a child” and there is a lot of truth in that. I know that my Momma would have tweaked that just a little—like this boy needs a whole continent.
I didn’t see it in the definition, but I bet somewhere in the godfather thing is the idea that the chosen one must buy some really cool birthday and Christmas gifts. It just seems logical. Regardless I think this is not something that should be taken on lightly—if you really are going to do the job.
So back to the beginning. We are chatting about godfathers, and it was one of those times that I thought something and said something that was almost, but not quite profound. I said, “But who needs a godfather if you can have a Father who is God.” Now isn’t that almost profound? You see, it is always nice to have some flesh and bones help you along but to have the Creator of the whole show as your Father…that is a horse of a different color. And, even when godfathers have all the good intentions in the world, they might just come up short—but Creator God never does.
When I think about the fact that God is my Father, that He is never ashamed to call me His, that He loves me and likes me unconditionally—well, that is amazing. And when I think that He will never, ever come up short, that’s when it goes right off the chart. The Bible says that my God-Father not only knows the cattle on a thousand hills but He owns the hills too. My God-Father can take on the biggest monsters and win every time. Oh, and He is never too busy, never too tired, and never changes His mind. All of that and so much more is what caused me to say, “Who needs a godfather if you can have a Father who is God.”
I guess it is the parents who choose the godfather but when it comes to my God-Father…well He chose me, and He wants to choose you too. My God-Father plays no favorites and invites anyone and everyone to be a part of His family. All we must do is believe, to have faith, turn away from our old messed up life and choose to follow Him. That’s it. I don’t know about you but I’m glad I can call God, Father, and I’m so glad He calls me, son. So, if you are looking for a godfather, there are plenty of good choices and just for the record that is a nice thing to do. But if you are looking for a God-Father, there is only One and He can’t wait to help you do life. He’s just waiting to let you know that this time and every time “He’s got this.” Bro. Dewayne
Grits with Grace 