Identity Theft

We have a duck who thinks she is a chicken! Why? Because she hangs out with the chickens. I fondly call them “the amigos.” She has been with them since birth.

Sadly, her sibling died, and to keep her from being lonely, we kept her with the chickens. She has learned to run like a chicken, eat like a chicken, and scratch like a chicken. I often wonder: if momma had raised this duckling along with the sister duckling, how different would her lifestyle be? She might take flight, explore the nearby ponds, and look for her food in water - the way ducks are meant to live.

Every day that I am in the chicken coop watching our cute little amigos, I am reminded of a book I read years ago, Turkeys and Eagles by Peter Lord. The parable goes something like this: It's about an eaglet raised by turkeys. He walked, ate, and acted like a turkey – never soaring, eating like the eagle he was born to be.

As the eaglet matured into an eagle, he looked longingly at the sky, watching eagles soar. Sometimes, he would see a rabbit and wish he could eat one. One day, a wise old owl told him the truth about who he was and challenged him to “go for it.” The young eagle finally spread his wings and soared eating meat with joy and fulfillment.

What do chickens, ducks, turkeys, and eagles have to do with the ministry of kids? 

IDENTITY!

We must teach them who they are in Christ! “For as he thinks in his heart, so is he…” (Proverbs 23:7a)

Our words have power. Sometimes, we don't know what children are hearing at home or school. What a child believes about their identity will shape their behavior. We should speak to them with respect and remind them of who they are in Christ because there is power in our words.

Our duck walks with the chickens instead of flying or diving for food. How much more should we lead children to discover their true identity in Christ? Let it be our goal that every child under our care wings receives an "identity uplift" - that they will know who they are in Christ Jesus and what they are capable of doing, even at a young age.

Go on a treasure hunt! Every child has a treasure inside, begging to be discovered and developed. “But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us.” (2 Corinthians 4:7). Ask the Lord to reveal the gifts within each child and begin encouraging and developing those gifts. With a little encouragement, they will become mighty citizens in God's Kingdom.

Be Inspired By This True Story

One of our eight-year-olds has the gift of encouragement. After a lesson on healing Scriptures and being trained on how to lay hands on the sick and pray, she took it a step further. She made a cross for a family friend who had stage 4 cancer, sending it with a note that included healing scriptures. The recipient was so blessed she wrote a thank you note saying, "She is a minister at a young age. My faith has been increased, and I feel so blessed."

Scripture References:

1. Proverbs 23:7a

2. Proverbs 18:21

3. Philippians 4:13

4. Ephesians 2:10

5. Romans 3:6-8

6. Genesis 1:26-27 and Psalms 139:14

7. 1 Peter 2:9

8. Hebrews 1:14, Luke 15:10

9. Matthew 16:26

10. Romans 8:35

11. 2 Corinthians 4:7