If you understood whose child you are, would you still live the same way?
God told me to write. Sometimes I try to be clean and redact or revise what I really wanted to say.
This is not one of those times.
"The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him."
— Romans 8:16–17 (ESV)
HEIRS OF GOD.
Do you understand what that means?
GOD IS IN YOUR DNA. ACT LIKE IT.
This revelation has changed the way I think. Now, my actions must follow. And I believe the same can happen for you.
I stumbled upon this idea while listening to a lecture by Myles Munroe (RIP), where he quoted Psalm 82:6:
"I said, 'You are gods, sons of the Most High, all of you.'"
— Psalm 82:6 (ESV)
Kanye was not crazy. I am a god. Shoutout to Ye.
I am not claiming to be the one true God, or anywhere near His level. The very next verse reminds us of our mortality:
"nevertheless, like men you shall die, and fall like any prince."
— Psalm 82:7 (ESV)
I am talking about identity, inheritance, and what it means to come from Him.
Think about your parents.
Do you ever catch yourself sitting, eating, or resting in a way that reminds you of one of them?
Whenever I catch myself sitting with my legs spread super wide and my arms resting between them, I get frustrated. It pisses me off that my father spreads himself out so much, and here I am doing the same thing.
Or when I catch myself chewing too loudly, just like he does, I immediately correct it.
It's not that I'm disgusted with my parents or embarrassed to share their identity. I just want my own identity. (And I think I'm much cooler than them.)
But my higher Father? He has no traits I should find annoying.
He's infinitely smarter than me (He actually knows everything), wiser than I could ever imagine, super jacked (have you seen how ripped Jesus is?), and the greatest designer and Creator OF ALL TIME.
God has no bad traits.
Knowing that I come from Him is both empowering and nerve-racking. Because if I claim Him as my Father, what excuse do I have for continuing to live in ways that don't reflect Him?
Knowing where I come from doesn't mean I'm living according to it. I still have a choice to make every day: live according to my flesh or pursue the Spirit. (Galatians 5:16–17)
I can no longer tolerate certain things I once accepted.
Understanding whose child you are should change how you treat yourself, what you allow into your life, and how you let others treat you.
The habits and tendencies passed down through your family do not have to define you. Your body may have come from two people, but your spirit comes from God.
And if you truly believe that, how could you not desire to become more like Him?
Consider this:
If God walked into your home tonight, after you'd just gotten off work, would you DoorDash Him Taco Bell? Or would you prepare a balanced meal with the best groceries you could afford?
If God entrusted one of His children to your care, how would you treat them?
And if you believe you are His child, why would you treat yourself with any less care?
But this understanding cannot stop with ourselves.
We must recognize the dignity of the people around us, too. We were all created in God's image, whether we acknowledge Him or not. And while our actions reveal much about what we believe, nobody's ignorance of their identity permits us to treat them as less than ourselves.
Knowing who I am, I choose to associate with gods.
Not because I am better than anyone else. I refuse to think of myself as less than what God created me to be. And I want to surround myself with people who recognize that same possibility in themselves.
If that sounds pompous to some people, screw them.
I'm not interested in making myself greater than anyone else. I'm interested in no longer being who I was.
I'm interested in becoming more like my Father.
Glory to God.
TWENTYTWO
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