He’s my Poppa!
September 13, 2006
By Gary Rogers
Tuesdays are my day off, and during the summer months my daughters brought the grandsons over to swim with “Poppa.” The five boys range from 3 to 8, and they live for the chance to aggravate each other.
On a recent visit they had hardly greeted me before they began picking on each other. It was ridiculous what they were fussing about. Their conversation went something like this:
“He’s my Poppa!”
“No, he’s my Poppa!”
“No, he’s my Poppa!”
“Well, he was my Poppa first!”
“That doesn’t mean he’s not my Poppa!”
“Nana, Poppa is all of our Poppa isn’t he?”
“Yes, Poppa belongs to all of you. He is everyone’s Poppa.”
“See! I told you!”
Ownership is important to all of us. We may not declare it or fuss about it like a little boy, but identifying the ownership of a relationship is vitally important. It is not an insult to be declared the property of someone else. In fact, it is kind of flattering to have five little boys all declaring ownership.
There is nothing negative about being a husband, daddy, poppa, pastor, neighbor, and friend. When I overhear someone say, “That’s my pastor,” I have a lump in my throat and feel a love, trust, caring, relationship has been established. It’s an honor to be referred to as belonging to someone.
This is most important to understand in our relationship with God.
“For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God’s” (1 Corinthians 6:20, NKJV).
“You were bought at a price; do not become slaves of men” (1 Corinthians 7:23).
“The Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many” (Matthew 20:28).
We should hear Jesus say, “That’s my child!” Yes, that old enemy the devil wants to argue and say, “No, he belongs to me!” But the evidence Jesus gives is without rebuttal. Jesus shows the stripes on His back, the nail prints in His hands, and the spear scar in His side and the enemy goes silent. The complete “paid in full” evidence declares that we belong to Jesus. It is great to be declared His property!
Gary Rogers is senior pastor of First Assembly of God in Coweta, Okla.
