I told a story about some of my grandchildren yesterday, my youngest daughter’s two kids. My middle daughter also has two children, and her husband brought three daughters with him into our family, so we have seven grandchildren in all. I won’t be telling stories about all seven, but I do want to share an ongoing drama with our youngest granddaughter, Micah.

Even though they live in Colorado, we get to see her almost daily using video chat. When Micah was about a year and a half, she started calling me “Papa.” She recognized me on the phone and would say “Hi, Papa!” It kind of melts my heart. It is a wonderful thing. The drama is her steadfast refusal 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 thinks she might have said it one time, but she still refuses to call her that. At one point, my daughter pointed to Cheryl and asked Micah, “Who is that?”  Her response: “No Papa!”

Three months later, it continues. Last week I went to Florida with a group to construct some Disaster Response camps for future deployments of volunteers as needed (More about that tomorrow). Because I would be gone all week, Cheryl flew up to Colorado to be with Micah and her family. She comes home today, and Micah has still not called her “grandma.”

I know that is 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 does not love Micah any less than the others, but longs for Micah to acknowledge her for who she is.

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.

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