March 2, 2013

^"People were bringing little children to Jesus for him to place his hands on them, but the disciples rebuked them. When Jesus saw this, he was indignant. He said to them, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. Truly I tell you, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.”  Mark 10:13-15

 

"But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the children of God, even to them that believe on his name:"  John 1:12

 

There are a number of ways to move from Slave to Child. The more you are around people who live as children in a healthy community of faith the easier the shift will be! Here are four things that can help:

 

LISTEN TO HIM – Get in the Word

Slaves listen to their masters because they have to. They are expected to obey their masters but how can they obey if they don't hear.

 

A child must listen to his father as well. But he hears out of love and respect because he is a child.

 

To come out of slavery, grab the Word of God! Read it! Obey it! Know it! Memorize it!

 

The Word of God has power to free you from the need to achieve in order to earn His favor. His Word has power to deliver you from being a people-pleaser and change you to a God pleaser. The Word can set you free from legalism and from the tyranny of addiction.

LIVE FOR HIM – Get in His will

A slave works hard under the tyranny of his master and against his own will or desires. But a child lives to please his father! Many sons want to be like their father and often end up doing what he does. A child finds pleasure in pleasing his dad.

LIVE IN HIM – Get on His way

"Solomon, the wisest son who ever learned once said, Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight" Proverbs 3:5-6

LOVE BEING WITH HIM – Go on a walk with Him

A slave isn't expected to enjoy being around his master. A child does. A child of God spends nearly every waking moment at his father's side. A child loves to be able to walk with his father and enjoy his presence.

And He walks with me, and He talks with me,
And He tells me I am His own;
And the joy we share as we tarry there,
None other has ever known.

 

In his short story “Capital of the World”, Ernest Hemingway tells about a Spanish father who wanted to be reconciled with his runaway son. The despairing father missed his son so much that he placed an advertisement in the local newspaper. The advertisement read simply, “Paco, meet me at the Hotel Montana at noon on Tuesday. All is forgiven! Love, Papa.” But Paco is a very common name in Spain—and when the father went to the hotel the next day, there were eight hundred young men named Paco waiting for their forgiving fathers!
 

 No one wants to be a slave. Everyone wants to be a child

Are you a slave or are you a child?