Last week my youngest granddaughter, Micah, turned six. We were there for the celebration. At one point she snuggled up next to me and I hugged her and said, “I love you baby girl, but Jesus loves you more.” He I have called her baby girl for a long time now, but that day I said, “I guess now that you are six years old I shouldn’t call you ‘baby girl’ any more.” She sat up, looked me straight in the eye and said, “No, Papa, its okay. You can still call me your baby girl.” Not only did that melt my heart, but when she said “No Papa” it reminded me of something she said when she was much younger.

She was born while my daughter and her family lived in Colorado, but we got to see her almost daily through video chats. When she was about a year and a half, she started calling me “Papa.” She recognized me on the phone and would say “Hi, Papa!” It was a wonderful thing to hear. The problem was back then, she steadfastly refused to call Cheryl “grandma.”

We went up to their house for her second birthday. The entire time we were there, Cheryl was working on her, trying to get her to say “grandma.” She thought she might have said it one time, but she still refused to call her that. At one point, my daughter pointed to Cheryl and asked Micah, “Who is that?”  Her response: “No Papa!”

That continued almost until the time she was three years old. It was disappointing to my wife. She has always loved children. Her face lights up when she gets to be with her grands, who she calls her “littles.” She did not love Micah any less than the others, but longed for Micah to acknowledge her for who she is. She didn’t want to be known as “No Papa.”

That made me think of how it must grieve and hurt our heavenly Father when the children he loves so dearly will not acknowledge or come to him. That is most of the people in the world! Those who do not believe that Jesus is the Son of God and the Savior sent for all people refuse to recognize the Father for who He is.

“He who does not honor the Son does not honor the Father, who sent him.” John 5:23

The word translated as “honor” in this passage can also mean “recognition.” They refuse to recognize that Jesus and the Father (along with the Holy Spirit) are the one true God.

This is devastating for a God who loves the world and wants everyone to know and come to Him.

“[God] wants all men to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth.” 1 Timothy 2:4

Jesus made that point repeatedly. How tragic that even God’s chosen people, through whom the Savior would come into this world, rejected Him.

“O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you, how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing.” Matthew 23:37

It is not simply that God wants people to call Him “Father.” Saying the word is not enough. He wants people to believe that He is their Father, who wants them to be in a loving relationship with Him now and forever. He made that possible by sending Jesus to be our substitute and take the punishment our sins deserve. Faith in Him receives the forgiveness and life and salvation He earned for you.

As we are preparing to again celebrate the birth of the one who is our Savior, the best gift we could ever receive from our Father in heaven, I want you to ask yourselves this question:

What can I do to help others see their heavenly Father for who He is?