Brad Paisley wrote a beautiful song from the perspective of a son of a single mother. When the mother began to be courted by a new man, the boy was included from the start. When the man asked her to marry him, the boy overheard and prayed that she would say yes. The boy realizes he has a dad now… but realizes something more than that. As the chorus says: “Lookin’ back all I can say about all the things he did for me is I hope I’m at least half the dad that he didn’t have to be.”

There is a deep appreciation in the boy’s heart, knowing that this man chose to become his dad. Other men may have been scared off by a single mom with a child. This man didn’t have to step in and love the boy as a son, but he did… and he turned out to be just what their family needed.

In the spiritual life, it is important to remember that God made the same choice regarding us. God cares for us (1 Peter 5:7) but did he have to? The picture we get in Romans shows a human race that God had every right to walk away from:

“God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us… For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life.” (Romans 5:8, 10)

God would have been justified in dealing with us according to our sins. We were God’s enemies and He could have treated us as rebels. The shocking surprise of the gospel is that God chose instead, to become the Father that He didn’t have to be. Through Christ, the wonderful Spirit of adoption became available to any who seek after it. (Romans 8:15) We can become children of God! He didn’t have to become the Father you needed… but because He cares for you, He welcomes you home.