What are you waiting for?

And that’s the way it was with us before Christ came. We were like children; we were slaves to the basic spiritual principles of this world. But when the right time came, God sent his Son, born of a woman, subject to the law. God sent him to buy freedom for us who were slaves to the law, so that he could adopt us as his very own children. And because we are his children, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, prompting us to call out, “Abba, Father.” Now you are no longer a slave but God’s own child. And since you are his child, God has made you his heir. (Galatians 4:3-7)

Made an heir - though a part of a different family (the family of sin), no better than common slaves, now adopted (into the family of God) - now heir to all that belongs to a member of the 'royal line'. Slaves don't possess much - most of the time they only have the clothes on their back. What is the greatest thing you possess as a child of God? Is it your 'fire insurance' - knowing you won't burn in the Lake of Fire come Judgment Day? Is it your 'abounding peace' - having no sense of peace and knowing only utter chaos in your life before you said a loud 'yes' to Jesus? Is it your healed and whole emotions - having lived with all manner of emotional imbalance before you invited Christ to bring balance? Regardless of what you consider to be your 'greatest' possession today, there are far greater gifts that abound for those who have been adopted into the family of God!

When my father was alive, I could call out 'Dad' and he'd immediately respond. Either he'd come my way or call back to see what I needed. He was a faithful father, always there for me, never abandoning me no matter what foolishness I got myself into. If we could know the love of our earthly fathers so deeply and profoundly, is it possible that I could know the love of our heavenly Father even more so? Yes, it is - because we have been given the means by which to come to know him even better. We have been brought near by the finished work of his Son on the cross. We have been kept near by the work of grace in our lives. We have been tutored by the Holy Spirit, to know how our heavenly Father moves and how he responds to our cries. We have been provided his Word, to bolster us when times are harder than we might like, and to present truth where we have been buying into any form of lie in our lives. Truly, we have 'much more' to look forward to in Christ Jesus - as a member of the 'royal family'.

Goodness knows we all needed a change of 'venue' in our lives - we were just barely touching the surface of what God created us for before we asked Christ to lead our lives. We might not have realized just how 'impoverished' we were before we submitted our lives to him, but all the wealth of the world does not compare to the vastness of the riches we can and will experience in Christ Jesus. If you find yourself trusting in your 'earthly family riches' today, not having experienced the riches of your 'heavenly family', it isn't too late. The way has already been provided in Christ Jesus - all you need to do is tell him you want to be part of this great big family. You will be welcomed in as an heir of promise - so what are you waiting for? Just askin...