January 31st
12But to as many as did receive and welcome Him, He gave the authority (power, privilege, right) to become the children of God, that is, to those who believe in (adhere to, trust in, and rely on) His name–13Who owe their birth neither to bloods nor to the will of the flesh [that of physical impulse] nor to the will of man [that of a natural father], but to God. [They are born of God!] John 1:12-13 AMP
When we place faith in Jesus Christ, believing that he died for our sins and rose from the dead, we receive the authority to become children of God. This authority is not something to be taken lightly. In fact, it entitles us to the same power that Jesus employed while he lived on earth.
It’s important to know the parameters of this power, and the Bible is the best resource we have to learn about them. Jesus lived the example we’re to follow and the scriptures give us all the details we need to tackle any situation. For example, the scriptures tell us that as children of God we are to:
- Love people, as God loves people
- Pray for one another’s healing
- Control our thoughts and bring them into obedience to Christ
- Preach the good news of salvation in Jesus Christ
- Stand in our faith in God against the enemy
- Exercise our authority over the kingdom of darkness
The question is, do we believe we have this power and authority in Christ? Are we walking in it and employing it in our day-to-day circumstances? Too often the answer is “No.” The mundane challenges of daily life often compete to keep our thoughts earthbound, i.e. tied up in the earthly problems. Our emotions may also contribute to this by causing us to feel anything but victorious.
Even so, God challenges us to rise above the mundane and set our minds and hearts on the things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. Paul wrote, “Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God” (Colossians 3:1 NIV). Doing so will require that we take control of our thoughts and redirect them toward God.
When we keep our “spiritual eyes” on the Lord and trust him in what we are facing, our true identity as children of God will begin to shine through. If and when we start thinking like a child of God, we’ll start acting like one, just as Jesus did. Instead of getting tossed around by the storms that come our way, we will stand up and speak to those storms and command them to be still.
Questions for further thought:
How does the devil work to frustrate our attempts to stay focused on God?
Our faith in Christ secures the right or privilege for us to become a child of God. What is our responsibility then to do with this right?
What things can you do to remind yourself to be focused heavenward each day?
Prayer:
“Heavenly Father, Thank you for giving me the privilege, right and power to become your child. I desire to live and think in the reality of my true identity as a child of God. Please help me focus my eyes on you throughout the day and start seeing my circumstances from your perspective. I believe, Lord, and please help me overcome any unbelief I have harbored. Thank you, Father! In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.”