Dear Son

May we never lose our wonder
May we never lose our wonder
Wide-eyed and mystified
May we be just like a child
Staring at the beauty of the King.

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Just as a child is born with the expectation of growing into a responsible adult, we are born into the Kingdom as spiritual babes, with the expectation that we will mature to become more like Christ.

As we grow in maturity, God and the Church entrust us with greater responsibilities. God often sows our lives like Christ, so that others can be reached and come to the saving knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.

In essence, we are not meant to remain children but to keep growing till we become Sons that the Father can give as gifts to the world.

[26] So you are all children of God through faith in Christ Jesus.

[27] And all who have been united with Christ in baptism have been made like him.

[28] There is no longer Jew or Gentile, slave or free, male or female. For you are all Christians–you are one in Christ Jesus.

[29] And now that you belong to Christ, you are the true children of Abraham. You are his heirs, and now all the promises God gave to him belong to you.

Galatians 3:26-29 (NLT)

The danger we often face as we grow in maturity in faith and are entrusted with responsibilities is to focus more on our ability to do instead of the truth that God is the one who is at work in us both to will and to do of His good pleasure.

We can become performance driven like Martha was, encumbered with much service but missing out on what is important.

[40] But Martha was distracted with much serving, and she approached Him and said, “Lord, do You not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Therefore tell her to help me.”

[41] And Jesus answered and said to her, “Martha, Martha, you are worried and troubled about many things.

[42] But one thing is needed, and Mary has chosen that good part, which will not be taken away from her.”

Luke 10:40-42 (NLT)

The thin line

We can be so focused on the work and we forgot about the One who called us. We can forget about who He is—His nature, His capacity, His ability. We forget that He is Good regardless of our failings, errors or missteps.

We can forget that He is our FATHER, that He loves us, that He is full of mercy and compassionate. We can forget that there is a secret place of nurture; a sweet spot where our souls can be revived.

But we must always remember that He is still our FATHER, irrespective of our responsibilities or our placement.

We should also be mindful of the “Older Brother Syndrome”, the tendency to view ourselves as slaves rather than sons; In the parable of the Prodigal Son, the older brother saw himself as a servant rather than as a son freely engaging in his father’s work.

Many believers today fall into this mindset, feeling bound by their obligations and serving to earn God’s favour or to please the church leadership, rather than serving out of love and gratitude.

While we go about our Father’s business, we must:

1. Have the heart of a child: As we serve, we must remain guarded to keep our childlike heart posture in response to our Father.

Yes, we need to mature as believers and become dexterous in the things of God, but we must still remain humble and tenderhearted towards God. A child is innocent, humble, gentle and dependent. We must never out grow these qualities.

2. Know that we cannot outgrow the basics: Daily reading of the Bible and prayer should never go out of style.

We cannot rely on past knowledge to sustain us; instead, we must desire consistent fellowship with the Father. This requires us to protect our time with God and be willing to pursue Him actively, as this is how we are empowered to do good works.

3. Live daily in the awareness of God’s Fatherhood: Remember that God is your Father. He restores you when you are broken, covers you when you feel ashamed, nurtures you to perfect health, and supports you even when you are unsteady. While there is work to be done, we also need to be ministered to by our Father so that we can serve effectively.

Finally, God is not only concerned with our work; He cares deeply about who we are as individuals. He is El Roi, the God who sees you —your silent tears, your sacrifices, and your weariness.

We must live dependent on Him, for He offers an unending well of strength. As He nurtures and nourishes us, our response should be one of love back to Him.

This is where everything began, and this is where we must desire to remain: in His love and in love with Him.