The apple does not fall too far from the tree; the wise sentence used to describe children who behave like or are replicas of their parents. And as a child to Nigerian parents, it has always been extremely important that I always know the child of whose I am. This knowledge of my parents is expected to translate into my behavior, the decisions I make, and how I carry myself regardless of their presence or not.
With that said, One of the beautiful things I realized when I first came to the knowledge of God through Jesus Christ was the fact that I could call Him my father. Even more so, I could have that father and daughter relationship with Him thanks to the gift of the Holy Spirit I had received-Romans 8:15. So thinking about it, If I call God my father then I should act like the true daughter of my father just like I try my best not to disgrace my biological parents everywhere I go.
I started reading a book and I remember how the author vividly described how God has made us in His image; which means that as we go about our business daily people should be able to see what God looks like through our lives. I could not help but ask myself, “Do I really bear the image of God correctly?“
If I was being honest with myself the answer was not exactly, given the ways I had been reacting to external factors round about me recently. Thanks to the Holy Spirit who affirms or refutes that I am my father’s child, I am able to stay on track. The Holy Spirit inside a believer is like an internal tracker who helps to keep us in check whenever it seems like we step out of line. So strongly, I felt Him calling me to a place of recoil, a place of re-grafting myself to the true vine, a place of recalibrating my focus from those external factors to my father only- John 15:4-5. My eyes were long too focused on those external things, I was beginning to lose my wonder of my father, my knowledge of God was beginning to fizzle out. It seemed like as I approached a new season in my life, I was pouring new wine in a very old wineskin. Pouring fresh juicy new wine in old wineskins could cause the old wineskin to burst while spilling all the wine that had just been poured into it – Matthew 9:16-17 . To be very honest, I believe I was approaching the burst of my old wineskin, therefore my wineskin had to be changed. My knowledge of God had to be renewed, I needed to see God in a new dimension so that I can bear His image correctly in this season.
Another spectacular thing about my father is the fact that He is always working, He is such a hard worker; Isaiah 43:19 attests to this. My father is always doing a new thing, a mini second snooze on my end and I could just miss out on new things He is doing.
Lord, am I glad that I took that recoil from the external factors; yet again I was reminded of these things:
Romans 12:1 The MSG translation- With the continuous help of God, place my everyday, ordinary life—my sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around life before Him as an offering, pleasing and acceptable to Him. I should not become so well-adjusted to the culture without even thinking about Him. Instead, fix my attention on Him always. This way, I will be changed from the inside out. I’d be readily able to recognize what he wants from me, and quickly respond to it. Unlike the culture around me, always dragging me down to its level of immaturity, God brings the best out of me, develops well-formed maturity in me.
Colossians 3:1 The MSG -So if I am serious about living this new resurrection life with Christ, I should always act like it. Pursue the things over which Christ presides. I shouldn’t shuffle along, eyes to the ground, absorbed with the things right in front of you. I should always look up, and be alert to what is going on around Christ—that’s where the action is. See things from His perspective
With my knowledge renewed, my wonder of Him rejuvenated I am confident that with His continuous help I am able represent my father like the His true daughter that I am. As I wrap this up, may I ask you if the Holy Spirit affirms that you are God’s child? If your answer is no, I hope you make the decision to be like the apple that falls not too far from its tree.