Influence


 
How great is the love the Father has lavished on us that we should be called  children of God. 1 John 3:1

Last night my husband and I were watching a TV show where a young woman told a group of her friends that she planned to change her name to avoid using her famous father’s influence. She wanted to make it on her own merit. An older, more experienced woman in the group told her not to do that. “Forget that! Use whatever you’ve got to help you get ahead.”

This morning I read a devotional message about Mary. It said that at the time she was chosen to be the mother of Jesus she was “ordinary, unqualified and young.” Hm, I’m not young but I immediately related, ordinary, check, unqualified, check, and old, which in these times is as bad or worse than too young. But wait, I have a pretty influential Father and I am not afraid to use his name. More to the point I embrace his name.

I pray that everything I do is for God’s glory. Very often I ask for opportunities to share my faith and talk about my Father, Brother, Counselor.  Far from wanting to hide my identity, I want to wear it like the prize that it is. I am a Christian and my Father is God. I call him Abba and you can too if you get to know him.

There is no denying my age, ordinariness or lack of qualifications. I have no letters after my name nor do I carry any significant accomplishment about which to boast. I can however tell you this. None of that matters. Who or what I am in the view of the world means nothing. My Father loves the ordinary, unqualified types. He’s looking for people who know they can’t accomplish anything on their own.

Don’t take my word for it. Ask Gideon, Moses, Noah, Peter, Esther, Mary, Joseph and so many others. God loves the underdog. He routinely chooses the ordinary and unqualified. The key is being willing to use his name, his power and his influence. Who are you? If the answer is, a child of the King, then you have no worries. Use Abba’s name, the results are amazing.

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