Sonship (or daughtership!)

Having just celebrated the fathers in my life yesterday, I obviously was thinking about what it means to have a daddy. I must say, I am more blessed than most, having a Godly husband, father and father-in-law. My children and I are very blessed.

We often hear of examples where Dads are absent or missing or uninvolved. And those stories truly break my heart. The majority of the children I have taught have very absent or non-existent fathers. How absolutely tragic. Dad's are so important and so help mold us and grow us up into what we can become.

What is such a blessing is that even if we have a very flawed or absent earthly father (or we have an excellent earthy father), we have a very good Heavenly Daddy.

As I was reading this week this scripture kept coming back to me. "Because those who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. 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. 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 8:14 - 17

What amazing promises. We can become sons (or daughters) of the Living God when His Spirit leads us and lives in us. And that Spirit does not desire or want us to allow fear to rule us or manipulate us or control us. Because the God of the Universe desires that we have a spirit of sonship (defined as the FACT of being a son). And through this Spirit we can cry out "Abba, Father".

Abba is an intimately affectionate term for father often defined as calling ones father, "Daddy". Small children often use the term Daddy for their fathers. I am in my 40s and still call my father - Daddy. It is a term of much love and trust. We are to have that kind of love and trust in our Heavenly Father too. Because it is a FACT that we are his sons and daughters. And no GOOD Daddy would ever want his child to fear anything. Fear is such an awful emotion and condition that a GOOD daddy would do everything in their power to get rid of ALL fear!

The scripture goes onto to say that since we are sons and daughters of the Most High we are His Heirs and Co-Heirs with Christ. That is an incredible promise. Co-Heirs with Jesus? I can hardly imagine what that means! Now here is the caveat, we have to share in His sufferings, but so we may also share in His Glory!

"But we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us." Romans 5:3-5

When the fears or struggles or great disappointments of life frustrate me and overcome me, I am clinging to these promises. The Fear is most certainly NOT from the Lord because He gave us a spirit of Sonship. And the sufferings produce characteristics in us that allow us to partake in the glorious riches of Christ.

Be encouraged today!!!! If the Spirit of the Lord lives in you, You are a Prince or Princess of the Most High King!!!!!!!