And it is my desire to lavish my love on you.
Simply because you are my child
and I am your Father.

1 John 3:1
1 How great is the love the Father has lavished on us,
that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are!
(NIV Bible)

How great is the love that our Father has lavished on us that we should be called the children of God! And that is what we are! What a thought, that the God who created the Heavens and the Earth, has welcomed us into His glorious family.

When I was working as an associate pastor on staff at a very active church, I needed to remind myself of this truth every day. Since there were so many demands in the work of the ministry, it was easy to forget the real reason Jesus came to save me to be a child to His Father, not just a servant in a fast paced organization.

To remind myself that it was sonship that God was after all along, I put a screensaver on my computer that scrolled the words. First I am a son, then I am a servant. While service is an important part of our Christian experience, it is always secondary to the truth that we are children of God, dearly loved of the Father.

It is interesting that people wanted to identify Jesus with a ministry gift or anointing Prophet, teacher, Messiah. But Jesus was pleased just to be called the Son of God. Sonship was more important than any gifting or anointing that He operated in. In John 3:35, Jesus declares that His identity is simply in being a Son to His Father. The Father loves the Son and has placed everything in his hands. (NIV)

Before you get too busy in your work for God, take a moment and meditate on the great love that the Father has lavished on you, that you should be called His child! This revelation of being a child of God will make any measure of service that much sweeter.

PRAYER
Father, I thank You for the extravagant love that You lavish on me today. Being Your child, is the very center and foundation of my life. Please remind me that I am Your child first, and then I am Your servant. Today I pray for an increased capacity to receive more of Your love than I have ever received before! May Your love seep deep into my heart, causing it to fill up, overflow and spill into every person that I meet. In the name of Your beloved Son Jesus I pray, AMEN.