For you did not receive a spirit that makes you a slave again to fear, but you received the Spirit of sonship. And by Him we cry, "Abba, Father." The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God's children. - Romans 8:15-16
Our personality is partly the result of the way we were parented. Of course other factors are involved, but parents have a bigger influence on their children than some would like to admit. Children from abusive homes usually suffer from severe insecurity. They may struggle with anger just like their parents and repeat the cycle when they have children. On the other hand, parents who are kind and loving tend to pass these traits to their children.
When we become a Christian, we are adopted by a perfect Parent. Our heavenly Father loves us perfectly. He has no regrets for what He says to us; He never wishes He could have done more for us. We have nothing to fear because He watches over us, and He is more powerful than any problem we will ever face. We will not live in want because our Father's resources are unlimited.
As God's child, our life ought to reflect God's character. The more time we spend with our Father, the more our life will reflect our new heritage. As God's child, we should become more and more like Him, loving, patient and forgiving. As we grow in our faith, our Heavenly Father's influence should have increasingly more impact on how we live that our earthly parents' model does.
Don't use imperfect parents as an excuse for not living to God's standards. We have a perfect Parent who will teach us how to be loving, patient and forgiving, just like Him - our Abba, Father.
