"14 For those who are led by the Spirit of God are the children of God.15 The Spirit you received does not make you slaves, so that you live in fear again; rather, the Spirit you received brought about your adoption to sonship.[f] And by him we cry, “Abba,[g] Father.” 16 The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children. 17 Now if we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory."
Romans 15:14-17
Today I want to write about something that comes from my heart. I was watching some clips from "The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air", and a very touching scene made me cry. Will hugged his uncle Phil after his father left him again, and cried out: "How come he don't want me?"
When I was about 3 or 4, my parents got divorced. After a few years of them being divorced due to conflict, my brother and I stopped seeing my father. And as a little girl I felt a bit of jealousy when I saw how great the fathers of my friends were, and I just didn't have that with my dad. Actually the few times I had contact with him were not exactly memories I think of as great ones, they sucked and they made me sad. And sometimes I felt like Will. I felt like I lacked something and that was the reason my father wasn't there. As a little girl, I wanted to be my dads princess, but he wasn't there for me. He hasn't been there for me at all. And I know some people may feel that way, maybe one of your parents isn't there for you. Maybe they are both there, but you feel as if they aren't, or they don't understand you. Or simply you have issues with yourself, you feel like you lack something. But I will share with you how this didn't affect me as much, as I grew older.
Soon enough, my mom taught me something that has helped me through my life as a christian. Something that has helped me stay in the path holding God's hand very tightly, that no matter how much I fail, no matter how much I stumble and fall, this truth has been with me since I was a little girl. My mom always told me that God is my father. It was a simple thing, but as we see in this verse it is a powerful truth. So since then when I pray I usually don't say God or Lord, I usually pray to my Father. As you may have a relationship with your father here on earth, I have that same relationship with my father in heaven.
Being a child of God came with a great sacrifice. The sacrifice of Christ on that cross. Due to this sacrifice that wall of sin that was separating us from God, broke down. Literally, when the curtain ripped, and spiritually. The Holy Spirit of God brings about our adoption to sonship. We aren't just God's creations, we are his children. We inherit His Kingdom. I am my Father's little princess.
And knowing this, has helped me work really hard as a christian to try and please my father. He isn't a distant God, that I have to fear. He is my father that loves me, and I am his daughter and of course as a daughter, I want to make him proud of me. I strive to become that pure gold, to one day be in his presence.
Our relationship with God has to be like this. You have respect for you father, you honour him and you want to make him proud. You want to show him that you cherish the values he has taught you throughout your life. God is the king of kings and as such we respect, honour him and give him glory. But as our father we can also love him. And this is what it comes down to. God loved us before so that we can know love and that we can show and give love. This love is what has kept me on this path and has helped me get back up when I fall.
Sometimes I feel like some people don't understand the love of God. They have a lot of rules to avoid things from happening. And I'm not saying you shouldn't guard yourself, because you should. Satan is out there ready to snatch you away, and lie to you, making you think you're on the right path, and you are on the right path, to destruction! But you shouldn't forget that it's not by your strength that you are on the path God has set for you, but it's because of his love and grace. And once you understand how far this love goes, you can only be humble and try hard to stay on that path. Not by making rules and being afraid of failure, but by surrendering to his love and grace.
Today I want to encourage you to surrender and accept God's love in your life. His pure and amazing love and we can't even begin to understand just by reading his word. We have to feel it and just by living in his will we can. I am amazed everyday at how great his love is. Just because of the fact that I can wake up, and I lack nothing. I mean sure, I'm a student, I have not much income, but even then God shows me that he will always provide for me. He gives me enough clothes, enough food. I see nature outside, I see how perfect he has created everything. I see how perfect he has created our bodies. My two cousins, their wives gave birth to two beautiful babies. And they are perfect! All of this can only be done by the amazing love that God has for us. The fact that I am here, making one of my dreams come true, shows me God's amazing and unfailing love. Doesn't that make you want to get up everyday and show it back to him? Doesn't that make you just want to make him proud of you? I do.
God bless you and be a blessing to those around you!
