Who's Your Daddy?

Lady Mary Crawley and I have gotten acquainted in the recent months. And by acquainted I mean I spent most of my winter watching all 5 seasons of Downton Abbey afforded me by Amazon Prime. Fellow binge TV watchers, do you ever feel almost trapped by a series and just wish it would end so you could get on with your real life??? Well, that was me and Downton Abbey (and every other TV series I've ever watched!). Kyle (who couldn't handle the drama of it and gave up watching with me by the fourth episode- He is much more saintly than I!) and I affectionately call this show DownTOWN Abbey, after I mispronounced the first (couple) time(s) to him (I'm a slow learner). Besides the drama, love, and heartache, the theme of identity always stuck out to me. The servants, the village, and the children in the family all find their identity in the estate and more importantly, in the Earl of Grantham, Lord Grantham. And the whole series is about how the inheritance of this estate affects everyone according to their identity with this one man! The oldest daughter (My friend, Mary Crawley) stands to inherit it all (but can't, 'cause she's a girl and needs to get married. Let the drama ensue!!) and she makes lots of mistakes doing it. But every time she is in trouble there is this understanding that she will be saved because of WHO she belongs to. To her credit, at times, she also appeals to the Earl of Grantham on behalf of others when they are in trouble too. The girl knows who her daddy is! 

Other than watching TV, I've also been studying the book of Esther these past couple months. Esther was an orphan who became the Queen of Persia and saved the Jewish race from being annihilated. Beth Moore (author of this particular study I did) made a point to show that we have something in common with this gal- her Daddy and not her biological one. Despite not being born from a lineage of kings, Esther possessed a royal bloodline that is common to all believers. Read what the Bible says about us Christians: 1 Peter 2:9 says that we are "royal priests" and "God's very own possession", and Romans 8:17 calls us God's children and, "if children, then heirs" and Ephesians 1:14 says that because of Christ, "we have received an inheritance from God." Esther's Daddy and ours is THE KING of the Universe and we stand to inherit his Kingdom. 

Our IDENTITY is not tied up in who we are but in who God is and our relationship to Him.

In our last training with Team Italy, we talked about spiritual gifts so that we know how God has uniquely gifted each of us to be able to bless others. Discussions on spirtual gifts are great and help us better understand ourselves but our IDENTITY is not tied up in who we are but in who God is and our relationship to Him (kind of like DownTOWN Abbey, wouldn't you say?) How we identify ourselves affects how we live our lives. No matter what the circumstance whether on a mission trip or raising children, we identify with the One who has everything we need to accomplish the work He sets before us, whether we know our spiritual gifting or not. 

Which brings me to raising children. Being a parent is seriously the hardest thing I have EVER done. Half marathons, climbing mountains, graduate school, waiting to conceive, waiting to marry (not in that order)....NOTHING compares to the weight of caring for children, building love into their lives and trying to stay sane and clean (or at least sane.) A reality slapped me over the head while praying the other day and that is that Jesus is the only resource strong enough to tap into for that responsibility. Nothing else is powerful enough (not even coffee reheated 18 times!) We have to choose Christ for our strength because no other resource is powerful enough to raise children! But thank God we have His strength because we identify with the most powerful being in the universe. He is our Daddy.

Remember who you are and who your Daddy is.

Because I am a "Royal priest" with an "inheritance from God" because He calls me his child I am changed. My first application of this is in answer to the question "Am I good enough?" Something I'm realizing is that perfection is not only impossible it's not necessary. I am learning to be good enough and to say of my projects, parenting, etc..."it's good enough". This is not a recipe for mediocrity- I really despise mediocrity...doing things with excellence is important. But perfection is not necessary. I can only say though, that my hard work is "good enough" because of my identity in God. With Christ we are more than good enough! As Beth Moore states, "The crimson bloodline of Christ flows through your veins." I know who my Daddy is. So, when I make a mistake in my parenting or I'm not perfect (so, all the time), I can rest assured that I have an "Earl" of my estate who has more than enough power to save me from my mistakes. He can as scripture says give me "a crown of beauty instead of ashes" and call us "oaks of righteousness, a planting of the Lord for the display of his splendor." (Isaiah 61: 3) Even when I'm not perfect, His working in my life is and that is something I'm resting in. 

Secondly, we are loved and provided for. Tullian Tchividjian said in his sermon series, 'Unconditional Grace' that "Everything we need and long for, in Christ we already possess." We are a people of abundance! I don't believe this applies to the Mustang you're after. But it might just apply to the longing for joy that is guised in the desire for the Mustang. No, it's not the rock hard abs you want to show off this summer, but it is the desire to be loved and cherished. It is not the perfect family (immediate or extended) but it is the affirmation that your good enough and the stability you long for. And it's not the promotion at work that will give you the title you deserve, but it is the yearning to be known and seen by someone more important than yourself. Let me tell you, as a child of God, HE sees you and knows your hard work. God cherishes you because he made you incredibly unique from everyone else. HE is your Daddy and the most perfect family you will ever need and He is cheering you on. And the joy of a relationship with God cannot be substituted by any material position. So, when joy, confidence, affirmation, stability, and popularity elude you, remember who you are and who your Daddy is.

And Finally, with your spine straightened, walk boldly into your God given mission to tell others of His love for them and how he wants to call them His children. So many people are looking for their identity today and anything other than Christ will come up wanting. And they will fight for whatever identity they come up with vehemently because they are terrified and you protect what you are afraid to lose. So when we as believers say, "no, you got it wrong" you better bet they're are going to come out swinging sometimes. We can't be afraid of this and we shouldn't be because we are an abundant and empowered people, that can stand tall and boldly in the love and strength of our Heavenly Father. Act with unbridled love for others, walking among them like a candle in the darkness because you have the answer to their need. Talk to the guaranteer of your inheritance often, and plead on other's behalf to Him. 

God's greatest gift to us walking in this life is his presence. I love that when God tells Joshua to take possession of the promised land, His words to him are "Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go." God's comfort to Joshua lay in the strength of God's presence with Him. Our comfort and strength and everything else we could possibly need to live this life lay in the strength of our identity with Christ, that we are His children and He is ever present with us, that HE is our Daddy.