Abba, Father: More Than a Name
Issue 24 | October 31, 2026
“For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, ‘Abba, Father.’” Romans 8:15, NKJV
When Familiarity Is Not the Same as Knowing
We can spend years talking about God, praying to God, serving God, and even teaching others about God without examining whether we truly know Him as Father. Familiarity with the language of faith isn’t always the same as understanding the relationship we’ve been given through Jesus Christ.
We may believe God loves us while living as though His acceptance must continually be earned. We may call Him Father while remaining afraid to approach Him when we’ve fallen short. Sometimes we’ve become so accustomed to what we’ve heard about God that we haven’t stopped to consider whether our expectations reflect what Scripture actually reveals.
That’s worth examining, because knowing about the Father and knowing the Father are not necessarily the same thing.
Abba, Father
In Romans 8, Paul explains that believers have received the Spirit of adoption, by whom we cry out, “Abba, Father.” Abba is an Aramaic word meaning “father.” It expresses a personal, familial relationship, but its significance is much greater than finding a more affectionate way to address God.
Paul is explaining what has happened through Jesus Christ. We have been received into God’s family, and the Holy Spirit bears witness that we are His children. Our relationship with God is not established by flawless performance. It rests upon what Christ has accomplished.
Jesus Himself used the expression “Abba, Father” while praying in Gethsemane (Mark 14:36). His prayer demonstrated both His relationship with the Father and His submission to the Father’s will. We should remember that Jesus is the eternal Son of God, while we become God’s children through adoption in Christ. Yet His life reveals that closeness to the Father and obedience to Him are not opposites.
Through Christ, we can approach God with confidence without diminishing our reverence for His holiness.
The Father We Have Come to Expect
Here’s where I believe we need to examine ourselves. When we hear the word father, we don’t all hear it through the same experiences. Some associate fatherhood with protection, provision, affection, and stability. Others associate it with absence, disappointment, harsh correction, or expectations they could never satisfy.
Without realizing it, we can carry those experiences into our relationship with God. If we learned that affection had to be earned, we may struggle to receive His love without feeling that we must continually prove ourselves. If correction was associated with rejection, we may interpret God’s discipline as evidence that He has withdrawn His love. If those responsible for us were inconsistent, we may question whether God will remain faithful when circumstances change.
But our experiences, whether positive or painful, cannot be the final authority for who God is.
We must allow Scripture to correct our understanding of the Father rather than allowing our experiences to define Him.
In John 14:9, Jesus told Philip, “He who has seen Me has seen the Father.” If we want to understand the Father’s character, we must look to Jesus. His compassion, holiness, faithfulness, and obedience reveal more about the Father than our human experiences ever could.
God is not simply a better version of the earthly fathers we have known. He is the Father revealed through Jesus Christ.
When Doing for God Replaces Being With Him
There is another area worth considering, especially for those of us who serve in ministry. It is possible to become so occupied with the work of God that we neglect our relationship with God.
We can become responsible for programs, people, assignments, and expectations while gradually allowing our personal communion with the Father to become secondary. Because the work is meaningful, we may not recognize what is happening. We tell ourselves we’re doing what God has called us to do, and perhaps we are. But even good assignments cannot replace the relationship from which our service is supposed to flow.
Jesus reminds us in John 15:5 that apart from Him, we can do nothing. Our work was never intended to become the foundation of our relationship with God. We don’t serve to become His children. We serve because, through Christ, we belong to Him.
When service becomes the measure of our relationship, we may begin evaluating our standing with God according to what we’ve accomplished or how well we’ve performed. But our adoption is not a reward for productivity. It is a gift of grace through Jesus Christ.
Before the Wind Settles
Perhaps the question isn’t simply whether we believe God is our Father. Perhaps we need to consider whether we’re actually relating to Him according to what He has revealed about Himself.
Are we approaching Him with the confidence Scripture gives us? Are we allowing His Word to correct assumptions we’ve carried for years? Have we confused serving Him with spending time with Him?
Romans 8:15 reminds us that we have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear. We have received the Spirit of adoption. This doesn’t eliminate reverence or obedience, but it does remind us that our relationship with the Father rests upon what Christ has accomplished, not our attempts to earn His acceptance.
This week, spend some time with Romans 8:14–17. Read it slowly and consider this question:
Am I relating to God as the Father He has revealed Himself to be, or am I still approaching Him through expectations shaped by my experiences?
Sometimes spiritual growth requires us to reconsider what we thought we already understood. And sometimes clarity begins when we allow God’s Word to correct the picture we’ve been carrying of Him.
Go Deeper
The Father We Think We Know | Wind Check
This week, we’re examining the difference between what Scripture reveals about God as Father and the expectations we may have developed through our experiences.
Take some time to reflect on four areas: relationship, expectations, reverence, and belonging. Where are your beliefs and responses consistent with what Scripture teaches? And where might God be inviting you to reconsider something you’ve believed about Him?
The companion Wind Check provides guided questions to help you work through these areas at your own pace. You can complete the reflection digitally or download the printable version if you prefer to write by hand.
Sometimes clarity begins when we allow God to correct what we thought we already knew about Him.
Until next time,
Dr. Netra Boykin
Clarity in the Wind
Unveiled | Living Letters
Clarity. Discernment. Faithfulness.
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