Healing the Father Wound

Rejection is the deepest of all wounds, and many of us know that firsthand. If we perceive we are not loved by our earthly father, we will doubt the love of our Heavenly Father. 

We can't become the men God has called us to be when we are still haunted by unresolved bitterness or resentment. The Bible says holding on to this literally "rots our bones" (Proverbs 14:30).

Forgiveness is a powerful spiritual tool that sets you free from holding on. It does not agree with or excuse the offense, but it removes your entanglement with it. Confess your resentment before the Lord, welcome forgiveness in your heart, and be set free. 

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Transcript

SPEAKER_00 0:05

Hey guys, this is Major Henry Hastings, and welcome to the SMC podcast: Restoring Biblical Masculinity by Raising Up Modern Day Minutemen in the natural and spiritual realms. This is where we tackle real issues men face from leadership and purity to history, spiritual warfare, and discerning the times at hand like the sons of Issachar. So you can stand in the gap at a moment's notice. Let's get into it. All right, guys, our scriptural anchor for today is Psalm 68.5. A father to the fatherless, a defender of widows, is God in his holy dwelling. Every one of us carries a story about our father. And some of those stories aren't that great. We can't become the men God called us to be while still haunted by the man who hurt or disappointed us in the past. Most issues in our lives are tied to father wounds that were unresolved. And when there is bitterness, resentment, and unforgiveness, a host of physical and spiritual issues are present. Let's clean some of that up today. If our dads were not present for us, rejection is internalized. Rejection is the deepest of all wounds. Abuse doesn't have to be physical. Any form of abuse, whether it was active or passive, creates confusion about God's nature because a father represents father in the Trinity. So as a father, we are designed to provide and protect. We also are supposed to be the source of identity. We pass our DNA down to our kids. They have our nature and bear our last name. They identify with our family. What does it communicate when we do not provide for our wives and children? They are not worth it. What about when we don't we don't protect them? They aren't worth fighting for. This is why there is an all out war on our manhood today. If you kill the shepherd, the sheep scatter. You remove the father out of the house, and the family is susceptible. We will doubt the love of our heavenly father when we perceive we're not loved by our earthly father. I have observed in years of ministry that bitterness, resentment, and unforgiveness is the cause of many illnesses, sicknesses, and disease. The Bible says it rots the bones. This is why we need to forgive those who have let us down and disappointed us. Forgiveness doesn't excuse the offense, it actually sets you free. So let's take a moment to forgive right now wherever you're at. I want you to repeat after me if you're sensing this. Father in heaven, I confess to you that in the past I have held unforgiveness, sometimes bitterness, and resentment in my heart against my earthly father, who hurt me or disappointed me. I now recognize this as sin, and I confess it is sin, for you have said in your word that if I confess my sin, you are faithful and righteous to forgive me of my sins and purify me from all unrighteousness. I do now forgive my dad, who hurt and disappointed me. Now you can do this quietly. It's really between you and the Lord, wherever you're at. And when you're done, repeat after me again. I now freely forgive my earthly father, and if he is living, I ask, Lord, that you would bless him. I also forgive myself for all my faults and failures, for all you've freely forgiven me, and I thank you for it. And I thank you, Father, for freedom from the burden of unforgiveness, bitterness, and resentment in Jesus' name. Healing your father wound doesn't make you soft, it makes you a violent gentleman. Your sons will never have to recover from the father you became whole enough to be. So, Father, we lay our pain before you, heal the places where earthly love fell short. Teach us to father from the heart you've restored. And we ask this in Jesus' name. Amen. Thanks for tuning in to the SMC Podcast. If today's conversation encouraged you, share it with another man who needs to hear it. And don't forget, you can connect deeper inside the Forge, our free online community, or take your training to the next level with the loyal nine inside the SMC Tribe. Visit SMCTribe.com to join the Brotherhood. Until next time, trust God, keep your powder dry, and remember, as sons of God, liberty is our birthright.