“For God is working in you, giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases him.” (Philippians 2:13)

How do you form a habit? Is it doing something everyday for a month? Is it making it through two weeks of pain until the pain is gone? Is it accountability, having someone check up on you daily to make sure you are doing that thing you committed to do? While all those things can help, I still don’t think those things last long term. I think the answer is rather simple, but deeply complex…and the answer is “Love.”

When you love something you are compelled to want to do that something. Or better yet, when you love someone who cherishes that something, you will do that something because you love that someone. Willpower and determination are both like a leaky gas tank – when full they can take you a long way – but at some point, both are bound to run out.

But love is like a deep spring of water that bubbles up from the inside. It will never run out.

My point with all of this is to say if you want spiritual Transformation, a twenty-minute habit may kick start a new craving for God, but if it is only a craving it won’t last. Transformation is meant to be a work of love. I am hoping these verses I offer each Monday will help encourage your love relationship with the Father and his Son Jesus Christ to grow.

That is, of course, I am assuming you have a relationship with him. But maybe my assumption is ill founded, and you only have willpower and determination because where there is no relationship there is no love. That is what we need to talk about…

“Yet to all who received him, to those who believed on his name, he gave the right to become children of God.” (John 1:12)

The right to become…the RIGHT! Other words that are similar in meaning are “authority”, “privilege”, even “gaining interest in (like you are a stockholder who has shares in his blood)”. Can you believe it, you can have ownership in the work of Christ?

This is what every explorer in God wants, his favor and pleasure that turns into ownership. This is all I want, to be assured that I am…

A CHILD OF GOD!

What is a child? Someone that commands the affection and protection of a parent regardless of anything they have done or not done. God says in Isaiah 11:1 & 8, “When Israel was a child, I loved him…How can I give you up?” A child does not earn the affection of a parent, he just has it. A child cannot lose the affection of a parent, he is born with it. A child carries the hopes and dreams of a parent all through his or her life. Scripture says this same affection can be ours, where God is the parent, and this relationship lasts for all eternity.

So what does it take to secure the affection of Almighty God? Isn’t this the mystery of the universe? Isn’t this what the monk who lives in silence for his whole life wants? Isn’t this what nuns who refuse to get married want? Isn’t this what the Muslim pilgrim and Hindu are looking for? And just think, we have been given the answer and access to the answer!

The Answer — The owners of the affection of God, his dear children, are those who ‘believe in his name.’

Believing equals Receiving, and Receiving equals Believing. God offers his affection and protection through the person of Jesus Christ. God’s name is stamped on his Son. Acts 4:12 says, “Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name…under heaven…by which a man may be saved.” And that name is found in Acts 4:10…

JESUS CHRIST OF NAZARETH

Why do people make things so hard? They always act like super serious grown-ups. Some people who are reading this think this answer is not hard enough. God is letting people off the hook through simple belief. Don’t they need to do something? Like, play dress up with shiny shoes and Sunday dresses, or talk in a religious tone where a person sounds 30 years older than they really are or light a candle in a dark cathedral? Now that is doing serious religious God kinda stuff.

But God says just believe.

So who should I believe, God or pious serious folk, you know the older Christian who always seems angry? What did Jesus mean when he said you must be like a little child to enter the kingdom of heaven? Only children can become his children. No grown-ups allowed. If that is the case then…

Dear Dad in Heaven, I believe!

Ask yourself these questions:

(1) Are you a grown up when it comes to Christianity? Do you always seem angry? Do you never do enough to keep God happy? Do you expect others to meet your religious expectations?

(2) What do you think it means believing is receiving and receiving is believing? How can believing be enough?

(3) Why do people make meeting with God so hard? Why has church and religion become drudgery?

(4) Why does God only want Jesus to get the credit?

Your twenty minutes are up!