We have known Jerry and Denise Basel for several years and enjoyed the first edition of their book, The Missing Commandment LOVE YOURSELF. Now we are pleased to let you know that the second and expanded edition is  available for you to enjoy. You can order it here.

Here’s an excerpt for your pleasure:

Servanthood to Sonship

Many of us Christians live in a master-servant relationship with God, a ‘just tell me what to do and I’ll do it’ relationship.

You might think, “That’s what I want – for God to just tell me what to do.” But would that work for you with your spouse or best friend? Not many warm fuzzies in that kind of relationship, are there?

If God is your Father and you are His child, how much more rewarding and meaningful would a relationship be in which He invited you to walk with and partner with Him rather than just giving you orders? Wouldn’t that feel a lot closer than a master?

Let’s look at a day in the life of a servant versus a son and see what the differences are:

The servant is accepted and appreciated on the basis of what he does, the child on the basis of who he is.

The servant starts the day anxious and worried, wondering if his work will really please his master. The child rests in the secure love of his family.

The servant is accepted because of his workmanship, the son or daughter because of a relationship.

The servant is accepted because of his productivity and performance. The child belongs because of his position as a person.

At the end of the day, the servant has peace of mind only if he is sure he has proven his worth by his work. The next morning his anxiety begins again. The child can be secure all day, and know that tomorrow won’t change his status.

When a servant fails, his whole position is at stake; he might lose his job. When a child fails, he will be grieved because he has hurt his parents, and he will be corrected and disciplined. But he is not afraid of being thrown out. His basic confidence is in belonging and being loved, and his performance does not change the stability of his position.”

Our challenge, then, is to choose daily whether we will operate as a servant or stop and say, “Father, I am your child, and I choose to live and feel like your child.” When we choose Sonship, the miracle of grace becomes actualized in our heart the way God intended. This grace is His gift to us without any regard to our worthiness. Grace is the too-good-to-be-true good news!