We often hear the phrases “our old life,” “our sinful nature,” and “the flesh.” Generally, they are in a discussion that says we must put them away in favor of “our new life,” “our godly nature,” and “the Spirit.” We opened our discussion this week by sharing what these contrasts mean to us. The following were among our thoughts: Our new life is one with God in charge, not us; our old life is lonely and boring, but our new life is filled with joy and companionship; every new concept becomes old when another new one comes along; our new life is progressive, in the sense that there is always something new, because we can handle more as life moves forward.

These were good observations. When we live our lives without seeking a spiritual dimension, we miss out on many joys. We also find that our lives can quickly become stagnant. When we live seeking to see where the Holy Spirit is busy, we discover and experience many tiny and huge joys along the way.

In Romans 8:15, Paul says we can cry out to God saying, “Abba, Father!” In The Message, the passage is translated, “What’s next, Papa?” The idea of God as our Papa or Daddy is not comfortable to everyone. Our experiences with our earthly fathers may taint the use of that illustration when we hear that God would desire our love be expressed to Him in that way.

As an illustration point, we thought about a prince speaking to his father, the king. What would be the difference if he always addressed his father as “Your Majesty,” vice “Dad”? We recognized that there is a chilling effect in “Your Majesty,” unless it is offered respectfully in a formal setting. We also recognized that the nature of the relationship is defined by the parent. A parent who insists on “Sir” or “Ma’am” from a child creates a different environment from one who insists on first names or “Mom” or “Dad.”

What we can know is that God, Creator and Lord of all things, has requested a relationship with us that allows us to approach Him as “Abba.” What a comfort! What a joy to know that this God, who is all love and all power, desires such a personal relationship with us! As we go out this week, let’s keep a spiritual eye and ear open to the world around us. Perhaps we will experience a glimpse of our Abba’s love and joy working around or even within us.