Many are called, but few are chosen (Matthew 22:14). Ever wonder why? I enjoy trying to discern Father's call on people who don't know the Lord or are chasing the wrong dream. People resonate with what Father has written on their hearts. God has written destiny in all our hearts. Sonship is the identity shift that makes us feel chosen because our Father is speaking to us. Sonship starts with the intentional act of positioning ourselves to listen and engage in conversations in the Council. Righteousness is simply being on the same page with our Father, co-laboring on the same purpose.
The amazing dynamic of sonship is co-laboring—learning to release what Father adds. Sons are learning the power of flowing with Kingdom Purpose and overflowing with an anointing to bring Heaven to earth. What is flow? There is an engineering principle of cooperating with nature so that energy or fruit is produced and our environment works for us, not against us. For example, planting seeds leads to free fruit. Building dams leads to free electricity and free irrigation water. God's Kingdom is like the garden of Eden – it produces naturally; we eat for free because our Father provides for us if we can plant.
There is music in Heaven—a beat that inspires sons to dance with joy as they release what Father adds on earth. This rhythm has four beats that we can activate in our lives, each associated with an intentional dance step. Rhythm is what lets you know where you're at on the dance floor. It's a Kingdom cycle that helps us live in the Spirit and keep in step with the Spirit (Gal 5:25).
I recently asked the Lord about the specifics of following Jesus, the Lamb. I am naturally prone to be independent and to take initiatives that occasionally turn into dead works, so I'm interested in having the spiritual agility to move with the cloud and to keep in step with the Spirit. Sonship is voluntary. God's Kingdom isn't built on obedience and compliance. Jesus calls us friends, sons, and family instead of servants (Jn 15:15).
We live in a rational, intellectual culture that doesn't acknowledge the role of hearts in making decisions. People do change, yet facts don't change them. Our beliefs and actions are filtered through our compromise and captivity… that's why Jesus set the captives free before they could follow him. Our identity, beliefs, and actions flow from our hearts. What we can "know" is limited by the experience of our hearts. That historic baggage is the lens through which we view the world.
Jesus asked His businessmen disciples if they could drink His cup. It's the same question He's asking you and I, "Can you drink your cup?" Sonship has a precondition of maturity and covenant. Are you willing to do what Father is doing? For richer or poorer, for better or for worse, in sickness and in health. Youthfulness and exuberance in business mixed with a touch of bravado and optimism have a unique scent (diaper). The fragrance of maturity is tempered with humility and wisdom.
We've all had a great idea or dream that ignited the desires of our heart. We pursued it with our time, talent, and treasure. But in the end, it didn't work, and in hindsight, it was obvious God wasn't in it. It wasn't just a personal failure, it revealed something missing in our relationship with God. Why did he allow this disaster when it all seemed so right? That collection of mishaps is not as damaging as success. Failures tend to clean our ears so we can hear the Spirit of Wisdom. Success is prone to lead to deafness, an I-have-need-of-nothing mindset. One is humble, receptive, teachable; the other is arrogant, independent, and self-ish.
Imagine moving from a Christian business to a Kingdom business. The former emphasizes the good character and the do-this list to maintain the standing and standards (The conformity is not particularly inspiring). A Kingdom business isn't focused as much on what you are doing, more on what Father is doing and whether we are we doing it with him? It feels like a movement motivated by prophetic purpose, passion, and people! Somehow God is working with us, instead of just watching from Heaven, waiting for the next mistake.
Deception has roots in our perceptions of lack in important areas of life (fear of death, love of money, lust, love). We all try to shore up our self-esteem and happiness by inventing identity and purpose to make sense of our story. When we're done building this castle that houses who we hope to be, it's a fortress that protects us from feeling of insignificant. Each brick in our castle is an argument or a pretension that props up a fragile ego.
I want to start out with a story. I was raised on a ranch in Montana, and my dad had a cow-calf operation. We had horses and often gathered or moved the cows. A boy on a good horse was as good as a 40-year-old man if he knew what he was doing. My dad came from a ranching background and was really good with horses, as was his dad. He took pride in teaching me everything he could. He also liked to do things the right way because he had done it before and hated having to do it over if we screwed it up.
Follow Up
