photo of a father and son

Restoring a Lifestyle of Sonship

To be rooted & grounded in love: it’s quite a goal! The good news is that as God’s children, we are predestined to know His love, but what a life we can live if we encounter that love today. Therein lies the key to breaking out of an orphan mentality and stepping into a lifestyle of sonship.

Dr. Leif Hetland is a dear friend of mine, who I’ve been pleased to partner with many times over the years. Leif is a regular instructor at our school of ministry in Pennsylvania, and today we’ve edited one of his recent teachings down into a short encouragement for you.

As you watch this video, listen to the Holy Spirit, and hold the question out before Him, “Where am I not fully embracing Your love, God?” We all have room to grow, and this is an opportunity to encounter the transformative love of the Father.

It is not what you do that makes you who you are; it is who you are that makes you do what you do.

Leif’s story is so similar to my story, and probably to yours as well. In my own life, God has taken me from one experience to another, showing me His goodness, His love, and His power. Each time I encounter Jesus, I am reminded how good the Father is, and in those moments the Holy Spirit comes and ignites faith afresh.

In your own life, when you look back, where do you see the faithfulness of God? These are key moments where we can be reminded that we are a son or daughter of God. We want our lives to follow this pattern of “sonship”, where identity comes first (informed by the Father’s love), followed by learning what we have, which then produces actions. Most of us start with what we do, so our identity ends up being formed by career, ministry, open doors (or lack thereof), but that’s backwards! A lifestyle of sonship is one that starts with hearing the voice of Father God saying, “This is my beloved daughter/this is my beloved son; in her I am well pleased/in him I am well pleased.”

Action Points This Week

  1. Meditate on the scripture passages that Leif mentions.
  2. Remind yourself of the good things that God has done in your life. These are like memory stones that God has given you to remind you of who you are.
  3. Take some time with God to ask Him if you are living out of an orphan spirit or out of being His son or daughter.
  4. Remind yourself of the truth that who you are in Christ comes first. Out of that reality comes what you have, and then what you do.
  5. Let’s pray this together: Father, root me and ground me in love, that I would know the fullness of Your love!
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PS) Leif is a regular part of the roster on our school’s teaching calendar. If you’re looking for a grounding in your identity, perhaps to prepare you for the next season of your life, I would encourage you to pray about coming to our school. Year after year I see students of all ages & backgrounds encounter God in a new way, and then get propelled into their destiny. I believe in this school, and commend it to you. Global School Website →

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