| A NEW FAMILY Shared with permission from Rebecca Lindhout https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W9UK0mFl5SM&feature=youtu.be “The Spirit you received does not make you slaves, so that you live in fear again; rather, the Spirit you received brought about your adoption to sonship. And by him we cry, “Abba Father.”” Romans 8:15-16 When I was young, my family used to watch a show called “Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous”. This show took you on a tour of a celebrity or wealthy person’s house or yacht and showed you all the things in that home that made living there so wonderful. I remember one home havinga bowling alley. Seriously, a bowling alley in their basement! Every home, of course, had a pool. Some even had an indoor and an outdoor pool! I remember looking at that show and thinking “I wish I was in that family.” Not that I had a terrible family, they are wonderful and I love them very much…but they didn’t come with a bowling alley or a live-in maid and butler. But seriously, would I have traded my family… NEVER. Some things are worth more than all the money in the world. Paul says that sin is like slavery, and we are trapped by it. You see, sin may be fun, it may give us much of what we want, (maybe even a bowling alley in the basement), but in the end, the consequences of our sin is slavery to it. If our focus is completely on what the world says is good, we will always need more for ourselves, need more from others, they will need more, more, more from us, and the next trend will mean we have to do more to stay ahead, so we become a slave to our wants andmoney. Other sins lead to addictions that are unhealthy for us and we literally become slaves to our bodies. Romans 8, however, talks about trading in our old life for a new one. When we ask Jesus to be our Savior, we are like the little boy in the video, we are adopted by a loving heavenly father. We are freed from being slaves to our sins and making the same bad, selfish choices again and again. We are also promised a forever family. When we ask Jesus to be our savior, we become family not only to HIM but also to everyone who has given their lives to Jesus. We all become the family of God and we have a Heavenly Father that we can call on anytime. Today, as you spend time with your family, try not to focus on your wants and remember you are a Child of God. Our houses might not have gold toilets or mini movie theaters, but we have something far better, the promise of freedom from our sins and a home in heaven one day with Jesus! What could be better than that?! Prayer: Jesus help us to see that you are a good father and we are your children. May our focus not be on what we wish we had but rather on the gift of salvation that you have so freely offered us. Amen. Boredom Buster: Our video talked about a new home. Take a walk outside today and look around for “building materials” and see what kind of house you can make with just the things you find in nature or your yard. No staples, no glue, just your imagination! |