The following is a devotion from my message series 10 Steps to Freedom. I hope these devotionals help you experience lasting freedom in Jesus!

STEP THREE: day 5

Cultivate a relationship with your Heavenly Father

If you had a loving relationship with your earthly father, if you looked up to him, respected him and valued his opinion, would you want to spend time with him? What if he loved you publicly and privately, what if he always encouraged you and made you laugh, what if he made you feel like you could accomplish anything in the world? If that was your earthly father, would you have to force yourself to spend time with him? Would it be a chore or a delight?

When you properly see God as your loving, Heavenly Father, when you see how much He loves you and when you begin to see yourself through His eyes, you won’t have to force yourself to spend time with Him. It will not be a chore, only a delight. Your view of God drives your relationship with God, and if you can change your relationship with God, you can change everything. Spending time with God is no longer a burden; it’s a delight! The more time you spend with your Father the more you naturally want to be like Him. The closer you are to your Father the more you’ll begin to see yourself as He sees you: not as a disgrace or a disappointment but as a delight to the Creator of the Universe! And as you become more like your Heavenly Father, the more His power will flow through you, the power that will change you from the inside out, the power that will break the chains of addiction and the power to walk every day in complete freedom. All this comes from your Heavenly Father, the one who loves you, delights in you, rejoices in you, and invites you to walk daily with Him in an intimate relationship. He’s waiting and He loves you, so go to Him!

QUESTIONS FOR REFLECTION

1. How has your view of God as your Heavenly Father changed this past week?

2. How do you think your life would be different if you truly began to see yourself as your loving Heavenly Father sees you?

You can read other devotional entries for 10 Steps to Freedom here.