A Place Called Far The Less

I believe there is a wound unique to the fatherless.

As adults they have made great strides to better their lives and put at a safe distance their painful past. They may excel at work to be a model employee. At home they work to be a loving father to their children and faithful to their spouse. They attend church and involve themselves in ministry. And they pray and read the Bible with a passionate heart to know God, but struggle to believe He is a good and kind Father. Often their view is a God who sits far above the earth on a glorious throne. Such a distance is almost welcomed because for God to be near means intimacy in hidden places that are painfully scarred.

But every so often they find themselves in a strange place. They may suffer a bout of confusion, of feeling alone and vulnerable and terribly shaken in their faith. They find themselves in a place called far the less.

They feel far the less confident to make sound decisions although they have made many before that were good and wise.
Far the less adequate to relate to those in their family and friends. Gone is the assurance they love them and doubt if they ever had.
Far the less strong to handle the stress at work.
Far the less able to call out to God as a Father that is to be trusted who has only good things for them.

Dark clouds of depression seem to roll across their sunny disposition. Their countenance changes as questions provoke a frothy sea driven storm in their minds. They try to call out to God but He seems absent - much like their father - or cruelly present but fails to acknowledge they are in the same room.

God has a word for those who find themselves surprised that no matter how much growth or improvement has been made they still find themselves in this far the less place.

Luke 15:20 says speaking of the prodigal, "So he got up and went to his father. "But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him (italics mine, NIV).

And that is what God does for those who are in the far the less place - He runs toward them - why? Because as the Greek word for distance means to hold back, keep off, to be away, be distant - so often those who were wounded by a father can only go so far in their relationship with God (regardless of being a prodigal or not) and remain stuck unless God comes to them.

When you find yourselves suddenly overwhelmed, lost or doubting just ask God to visit you right where you are no matter your condition. There is a freedom He longs to bring to those who have been fatherless. He desires to break that long standing shackle of despair where hope and vitality seem to be swallowed up in such a far the less place.

I'm learning that such far the less moments is an opportunity to learn more about God's heart as a Father. A Father who only seeks my best and will not fail to help me. Here in my weakness when all my strength has failed I must trust Him even more.

Beloved, you are no less farther from Him than a whisper of His name. He is closer than the air that escapes your lips when you pray. Invite Him into those places to do what He can only do and less will be those moments and greater the freedom and assurance is yours to walk with a head held high as a son or daughter of God!