This post was originally written for the Allume blog.
I’d like to tell you a brief story about a young lady named Avery.
She worked in the most respected and desired company in the nation. Everyone wanted to work there. Avery was the ideal employee and co-worker. She worked hard and met every need of her assignment. She made sure she understood her bosses needs and that she pleased him. She asked what was expected of her and did every thing she had to in order to exceed those expectations. Because of that she was successful in everything she did.
Like most young ladies, she wanted to climb the corporate ladder so she looked for opportunities to prove she was worthy of promotion. She was very smart too. She would access the risk of a situation well and if it was too high she wouldn’t go that direction. She made sure to invest in the right relationships so to yield a good relational return as well. She would also find the shortest way to gain the most success. Her supervisors loved having her work for them. She would honor them by obeying their requests. They didn’t even mind that she did a bit of brown-nosing to earn their favor.
But, Avery had one large problem.
She forgot who she was. She was the heir to the company. Her Father just wanted her to be faithful. She wanted to earn it.
I wonder if you see a problem with the way Avery worked. We’d say, “Good for her she isn’t spoiled! She’s proving she’s worth giving the company to!” What could be wrong with it? She didn’t have to do those things to earn her position. But she was proving her worth instead of knowing who she was – the daughter and the heir.
Sometimes we act just like Avery in our Christian walk.
Read the story again and think of the boss and company as God in his Kingdom and Avery as you. God says you are daughters and don’t need to earn anything. He has a storehouse of blessings for you and you just need to freely receive.
I believe we are hammered by the world’s way of thinking like a slave instead of having our minds renewed and thinking like a son/daughter.
Many of us are still acting like slaves – trying to earn our way into God’s heart and achieve the approval of man with good works.
Jesus came to earth to set you free of sin so He could reclaim for the Father his lost sons and daughters. Not to make you a slave and earn righteous but to declare righteousness over you! You are no longer a sinner but a son. An all powerful God could’ve just snapped His fingers and redeemed you. But, He choose to show you the value of who you are by sending his own Son to get you back. God did not find it too great a cost to send Jesus for you. YOU ARE VALUABLE!
Sometimes our prayers are hindered because God won’t answer a prayer that keeps us enslaved.
If you aren’t sure this applies to you evaluate yourself based on the characteristics below. See if you think more like a slave or a son. Maybe I’m the only one that needed this litmus test. I needed to be reminded that God says, “Even on your darkest day I didn’t lose sight of who I created you to be. I never forget who you are. I’m never mad at you and I can’t stop loving you because my love never fails. I know your identity, destiny and created value. I love you for who you are and not what you do.”
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Slavery |
Sonship |
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A slave is accepted on the basis of what he does |
A son is accepted for who he is |
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Purpose is to meet a need!! |
Purpose is to grow up, find God’s purpose and fulfill it |
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Seeks comfort & happiness |
Seeks fulfillment |
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Starts the day anxious, worried wondering if his work will please his master or boss |
Rests in the secure love of his family |
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Expected to be successful |
Expected to be faithful |
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Needs to prove his worth |
Status is secure |
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Runs from pain |
Embraces pain strategically |
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Gives favors – “You owe me” |
Shows Favor and HAS favor |
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Avoids problems |
Seeks opportunities in problems |
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Talks about self |
Talks about TEAM – sees bigger picture |
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Expects more from others than self |
Personally raises the bar on self |
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Intimidated |
Walks in confidence |
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Manipulates for recognition |
Rests in his position |
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Seeks supernatural for self (to feel legitimate) |
Uses supernatural for others (compassion) |
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Directed by commands |
Directed by love |
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Worships because of duty |
Worships because of love |
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Worship to earn God’s favor |
Worships because he HAS God’s favor |
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Worship is structured |
Worship is spontaneous |
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Extends honor upwards |
Extends honor downwards |
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Obeys orders |
Solves problems |
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Sees cost in failure |
Sees benefit in failure and learns |
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Seeks immediate gain (here & now) |
Sows into future (perseverance to go long term) |
I have an exercise for you! (I can’t help it….it’s the teacher in me.) I took some of the areas that are a challenge for us and wrote out a positive declaration. The reason I did this is because whatever we focus on we give power to. I didn’t want to give more attention to the slavery ways of thinking by saying don’t do this or that. So, I wrote the opposite. Do this for yourself based on the areas you find you want to think more like a son/daughter. See my example below.
Declaration:
I know God has great plans for me and am excited about the journey. I seek God’s heart and desire to find ways to fulfill my destiny. I am wise and seek the Fathers heart to be at peace with everyone. I look for ways to make things better for all men. I am others focused and a generous listener. I love a glass empty so God can find a way to fill it. And if some spills on me I find a new way to fill it up again. I am full of hope. I am a willing student and God loves to teach me. I have every reason to walk in confidence because I am highly favored by God. Even my enemies are at peace with me. When I wake up in the morning God is pleased to see me. Nothing you I do will make him love me more. Nothing I fail to do will make him love me less. I am wonderful at honoring those that work along side of me and the less fortunate. I do it without thinking and God sees it. My perseverance is one for the record books and noticed in heaven. I am patient to wait for God’s best and because of that He is going to reward me. I am His daughter!
Photo courtesy of Miquel Fabre via Flicker.
