By Andrew Williams
Opening Prayer
Abba, Father, thank you for adopting us as your children. Help us to find our deepest rest in the security of knowing that we belong to You.
Today’s Scripture (NLT)
Romans 8:15
“So you have not received a spirit that makes you fearful slaves. Instead, you received God’s Spirit when he adopted you as his own children. Now we call him, ‘Abba, Father.'”
Much of our striving and performance is driven by a deep-seated fear. We act like “fearful slaves,” trying to earn our keep, afraid that if we don’t perform well enough, we will be rejected or cast out. We live as if our position in God’s family is conditional.
But this scripture declares a revolutionary truth. Through Jesus, you have not been hired; you have been adopted. You are not a slave, but a son or daughter. And because you are a child, you can relate to God not with fear, but with the intimate trust of a child crying out, “Abba, Father”—an Aramaic term similar to “Daddy.”
Resting in this identity is life-changing. A child doesn’t have to perform to earn their place at the dinner table. Their position is based on their relationship, not their resume. When you truly believe that you are a beloved child of God, you are set free from the exhausting burden of trying to prove your worth. Your worth is not in what you do; it is in whose you are. You can rest.
Disciples’ Life Tip: Throughout the day, when you feel the pressure to perform or the fear of failure, remind yourself of your true identity. Whisper to yourself, “I am not a slave; I am a beloved child of God.”
Closing Prayer: Abba, Father, thank You for making us Your children. Free us from a slave mentality and help us to live and rest in the beautiful, secure identity You have given us. Amen.
