Were You Born Into the Family or Are You a Foster Child?

There was a program I was listening to, where the difficulties of the child fostering organisation were being discussed.  I cannot ever forget the example they gave of what it is like for a child.

The Child
They used an example of a young boy who had been taken out of traumatic circumstances and put into foster care.  He had very disruptive behaviour and soon the foster parents said they could not cope.  So he was put into another foster home, and the same thing happened.  After having been in several foster homes he was placed in a home where there was a boy the same age as himself.

The Parent
Very soon his behaviour again became an issue.  When his foster mother was dealing with him, he replied, “What do you do with him (pointing to her son) when he is naughty?”  This was a wakeup call for the mother.   A while later his adoption was achieved, and this boy became part of the family.  His behaviour and school work improved immediately.

This is the picture of so many ‘christians’.  They DO all the right things and then the effort becomes too much and they feel totally away from God.  They expend much effort again to ‘be worthy’ and so the see-saw goes on and on.

To Join the Family
The bible says in John 3:7, “You must be born again.”  Speaking of a spiritual birth into God’s Kingdom.  And once you are, you are in the family, like the little boy who was adopted.  You now belong with all the rights that the bible promises.  Your actual behaviour did not earn this.

When you see christians behaving badly, it is not that they are OUT of the the Kingdom of God, it is just that they have to learn the behaviour of the Kingdom.  Jesus told us that the Holy Spirit would “teach you all things” John 14:26, so we are all learning till we master all Jesus taught.  A life time of learning.

Lesson
Ephesians 3:6 tells us that we are “heirs”.  A foster child does not share in the inheritance as a child does.  We need to clarify whether we are being ‘fostered’ or whether we belong in the family and are ‘heirs’.  As a child who belongs in the family you will be taught by the Father.  It is not your personal efforts of doing good, that will bring you into the family, it is when you say you want to belong give Jesus the right to teach you.

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