Power to Become

Daily Byte

From 1952 to 1970 there was a TV show hosted by Art Linkletter and as a part of that show there was a segment called, Kids say the darndest things. It featured Art Linkletter interviewing children about things and issues that were important to them. One of Art Linkletters favorite questions to children was, “What do you want to be when you grow up?” Branded into my memory is one interview when Art asked this to a boy. The boy’s answer was, “a bus driver or a pilot.” Art responded by asking the boy, “If you were flying a plane and all the engines went out, what would you do?” The boy thought for a moment then lowered his head and said, “Our Father who art in Heaven.”

This retelling of an old Art Linkletter interview emphasises that we often are programmed from childhood to think about what we want to become. In the past, and still in some places now, this question was often heavily gendered with boys expecting to be police officers; firefighters; astronauts; and presidents, and girls expecting to be teachers; nurses; and moms. In the past, and still in some places now, this question was strongly racialized with expectations of white children becoming educated; professionals; and leaders, and black children becoming laborers; helpers; or maybe even prisoners. Thank God some of us have moved away from the gender and race categories that stuck people into certain expectations. All of us know that we still have a long way to go.

A common misunderstanding is that our final status just happens. That we are instantaneously transformed into the complete perfected work of God. This is a fallacy and we must remember that God is still working on us.

You are becoming. In your life, you are becoming. In your family you are becoming. In your faith you are becoming. You are in process. This very process calls for power. It takes the authoritative power of Jesus Christ to go through the becoming process. Our scripture declares to us that Jesus gives us this authoritative power. We are a powerful contingent of those that are regenerated, born again, and know we are saved by Christ’s redeeming blood. We are empowered. This is often the hardest lesson for many of us to get. Sometimes we become accustom to defeat.

Before Christ did his work of salvation, we were strangers, aliens, enemies in the land; and every word that means an evil thing might have been applied to us; but when we laid hold on Christ, when we received him, we were adopted by The Greatest Citizen of the land, and publicly acknowledged in the Kingdom as being that Great Citizen’s child. We were then regarded as Children of God.

Because of this you have been invited to the great celebration, the great party in glory. You are invited, not as servants, not as neighbors, not as foreign guest, not as news reporters, not as photographers. The Great Party Planner has placed you on the list as a special participant. You are His child.

Focus Reading

John 1:12

But to all who received him, who believed in his name, he gave power to become children of God.

Staying Online Prayer

Lord, Thank you for the power to become. What an exciting opportunity you provide to become your child through Jesus Christ. Keep making me into what you would have me to be. Sometimes it is the greatest joy to pray, “Our Father who art in Heaven.”