BY DR. DORAL PULLEY, Today’s Church Tampa Bay
Scripture – “For whosoever shall do the will of my Father which is in heaven, the same is my brother, and sister, and mother (Matthew 12:50).”
Denial – Spirituality is not about religious rituals; it is all about my relationship with God.
Affirmation – My relationship with God provides everything that I need.
It is important that you pay attention to how you use the word, “my”. Whenever you say, my, you are claiming someone or something as your own. My means ownership and possession. If you don’t desire to possess something and own it, don’t use the word, “my”. For example, never claim sickness, pain, disease, discomfort, or dysfunction as yours. Instead of saying my high blood pressure, say, the high blood pressure. Using the word, the, recognizes its’ existence but it also acknowledges that it does not belong to you. It is just passing through you.
When Jesus, the Wayshower, said my Father, he was claiming his personal relationship with God (Luke 2:41-52). His relationship with God superseded the religious rituals and dogma of his time. The Jews did not claim God as their father because of the implications of fatherhood. The goal of parenthood was for the child to be equal to or greater than the parents (John 10:30-36).
It is God’s desire that you live a happy, healthy, prosperous, and successful life. Having a personal relationship with God entitles you to all these rights and privileges as God’s offspring. You are an heir of God and joint heir with Christ Jesus (Romans 8:17). There is no part of God that is cut off from you. You have access to all that God is and all that God has is yours.
Reflection Question – When did your relationship with God become personal? What circumstances in your life led you to strengthen your relationship with God?
Journal Activity – Write about it what it means to you to be God’s child. Write your thoughts, feelings, and beliefs about being a Divine Being.
This article is an excerpt from the book Wayshower: A New View of Jesus. It’s available on Amazon or doctorpulley.com.
Rev. Doral Pulley is the senior pastor of Today’s Church Tampa Bay, 940 5th Ave. S, St. Petersburg (Staybridge Suites) and 5107 North Central Ave., Tampa.
