Sonship Is The Key
Today, I’m excited to share an excerpt from my new book, The Process of a Leader. This book is for anyone who knows that God has begun to speak to your heart regarding your future. You know there’s something amazing on the horizon but you don’t know where to start or if you have what it takes. The truth is that God simply wants us to hear His voice and step out in faith and let HIM fill in the blanks. So often we don’t start the new thing God wants us to start (the new job, the new ministry, a new business, Bible study, the non-profit, etc) because we don’t have what I’ll call “good hate” for the problem.
GOOD HATE
There is a good kind of hate. You’ve got to hate the problems in your current reality. If you don’t, you won’t do anything to solve them. Gideon was upset hiding in that hole in the ground. He was upset at the Midianites stealing all their food, oppressing their families and I think he was most upset with himself. But in the midst of his discouragement, God came to him! God spoke words of encouragement and made a promise to him “I will be with you! You will strike down that army!” God was giving him a new identity and the courage he needed to get OUT from under the problem and DO SOMETHING.
Jesus followers not only notice the problems in society but also have an emotional reaction to them. It’s personal. They hate the effects of the problem and the way that it hinders people or keeps them imprisoned. Jesus was passionate. Jesus followers are passionate too. The problem around you could be a mindset, a perspective. It could be political, physical, or financial. It could be a negative growing trend in society or even in your town. Regardless of what it is, God could be asking YOU to not only see the problem but also the long-term negative effects of that problem on real people who have hopes and dreams. God could be asking YOU to face reality and hate the problem enough to act. Jesus hated the fact that the widows were oppressed while the pharisees lined their pockets so He would go to the Temple and talk about it. (talk about courage!) He was “speaking truth to power” which is never easy, right? Jesus hated that His Father’s house had been turned into a market where locals would extort the tourist for financial gain. Jesus hated that wealthy people like Zacheus were only seen as enemies of God instead of potential children of God; so, He did something about it. He invited Himself over to Zach’s party. Jesus knew how to hate the problem enough to act. We should too.
Danielle and I believe that every child deserves a safe, loving home. We are committed to that. We are emotional about that. We are called to that. We’re discovering our promise and our purpose. We have a good hate. We hate that there are kids who are neglected or abused, and we hate that they often repeat the cycle. We hate how sin destroys a family. God put within us a table-turning mission: a mission to stop the generational curses and show kids and their parents what real love looks like. It’s hard. It’s exhausting. It’s also the most meaningful thing our family has ever done. We didn’t know all the answers when we started; we just started. Real leaders act—now! They know that doing something is better than doing nothing and that the first step of faith is the most important. You will never know all the answers and all the outcomes - that’s why it’s called faith. You simply begin, trusting God to fill in the gaps where needed.
Here’s the heart of the book in a nutshell. Sonship is the key. It’s the key to your joy, your mental health, your impact and I would even argue, the key to great relationships. After all, if you begin to view life through this lens, the correct lens given to us by Jesus, you’ll see everyone as your brother and sister and you will genuinely love them as such. You’ll celebrate with them when they win (instead of being jealous in your heart) You’ll cry with them when they grieve. You’ll enJOY the family of God all around you! You’ll speak up when someone is being mistreated. You’ll care for the outcast or marginalized in society. You’ll begin to care more for the needs of others than yourself. This is maturing as a Jesus-follower; it’s viewing people through the lens of family - God’s family. Sonship is the key! Learn more about Gideon, Joseph and how Jesus taught us to think and live in my new book. Break free from the traps of ambition and insecurity and live in the freedom and joy of sonship! Break free from the pity party - the lie of victimhood! That’s where satan wants you to live but it’s certainly not where God wants you to live!
