Romans 8:15–16 – For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, “Abba! Father!” The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God…
Psalm 103:13 – As a father shows compassion to his children, so the Lord shows compassion to those who fear him.
A mixed martial arts fighter named Jens Pulver became a Christian later in life and wrote an autobiography. The 5-foot, 7-inch lightweight known as “Lil’ Evil” was a lefty who fought his way through the inaugural Ultimate Fighting Championship to win his weight class.
This brutal fighter had grown up under the worst of circumstances, including an incident where his dad put a gun in seven-year-old Jens’ mouth but then pulled it away, saying “You aren’t worth the bullets.”
Pulver was fighting his dad every time he climbed in the ring.
Pulver says, “When I was 15 I made myself a promise. My dad had just beaten me and my mom, and we were huddled in the bathroom, crying. It was a horrible situation. But I made myself a promise—one day I’m going to get so famous that I’m going to tell everybody about him. I’m going to get so famous that they are going to listen. It took me 20 years, but it kept me out there chasing the dream until I became a world champion.”
Pulver was fighting his dad every time he climbed in the ring. He had a father wound. The father wound is an unhealed hurt from a physical or spiritual father or father figure in our lives.
Fathers fail us, and unless we forgive them and invite God the Father to heal our father wound, we remain burdened instead of unburdened, broken instead of healed, and made bitter instead of made better. It leaves people open to the demonic through hurt and bitterness.
To order the new book from Pastor Mark & Grace Driscoll “Win Your War”, visit: https://amzn.to/2YuhoDn.
For the entire eight-week “Win Your War” sermon series from Pastor Mark, visit www.markdriscoll.org or the Mark Driscoll Ministries app.