God’s Family Traits

One evening, my husband and I had gone out to buy a few things from the shop. Whilst standing at the till, he said something to the young lady, that made me turn and look at him in wonder. Good evening Miss -------. The young lady smiled at him and gave him an appropriate response. He said to her, you’re wondering how I know your name aren’t you? Well, I was wondering how he know he surname as well! I asked him if he knew her. He said I know she’s a (and said the surname) because of the shape of her forehead. My husband did not know her to say who her mother and father were. He just knew that she had certain physical features that were dominant enough, for him to show which family she was a part of. The young ladies trait was a distinguishing quality or characteristic. A family trait is the way that family members are alike, or similar, due to inherited genes from blood relatives. A family can also have ‘acquired’ or ‘learned’ family traits.’ This type of trait can occur in any family, who are blood related or not. Acquired traits may include fears, learnt from one or both parents, a sibling, or other family members. Smoking; speaking another language; wearing your hair a certain way; dressing a certain way; always traveling; behaving badly; behaving very well may all be considered as ‘acquired’/ ‘learned ‘traits. In John 14:9 Jesus said, “Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father.” (God) Therefore, Jesus looked like God in some ways. He carries God’s family trait/s. In John 5:19 Jesus states that “the Son (himself) can do nothing by himself; he can do only what he sees his Father doing, because whatever the Father does the Son also does.” This may be considered as his acquired or leant traits, or God.

In the previous devotional, we learnt how to become a part of God’s family; repentance and grace being two especially important aspects. Once a person has the Holy Spirit within and with him/her, the physical and the spiritual transformation of the person begins. People may look at that new Christian and see that he/she has changed. Not only in their appearance, as they may have changed the way they dress, or their complexion, or looks, looks great, peaceful, happy.... Then their mannerism or character seems quite different. He/she is no longer argumentative; aggressive; angry, worried, or anxious all the time. He/she no longer uses offensive language. Why, because he/she is reading their Bible and allowing the Holy Spirit to transform them, from the inside out. There are so many bible verses that can help Christians to develop God’s family traits. There are also many verses that help Christians to obtain ‘acquired’/’learned traits of God., through the words of Jesus.

• Find a verse/verses that tells men/women/young /old/children how they should be, as Christians.

• Find verses that tells Christians how they should live or behave.

• Pray using those verses; that Christians will show God’s family traits and God’s acquired traits, through the indwelling Holy Spirit, just like Jesus, when he was walking the earth.

Prayer and Fasting Devotional Topic: Welcome To the Family Of God.

Sub- title: God’s Family Traits.

Bible Readings: 1 John 3: 1-2; 1 John 4;8; Galatians 6:10 ESV version

“See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so, we are. The reason why the world does no know us is that it did not know Him. Beloved, we are God’s children now, and what we will be, has not yet appeared; but we know that when He appears, we shall be like Him, because we shall see Him as He is.” – 1 John 3:1-2

“Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love.” - 1 John 4:8”

“So, the, we have opportunity, let us do good to everyone, and especially to those who are of the household of faith.” – Galatians 6:10