Stop Living Like A Chicken! Adeboye’s Eagle Story Sends A Powerful Message To Christians
By Passman Akpos
The General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG), Pastor Enoch Adejare Adeboye, has urged Christians to recognise their divine identity in Christ, warning that failure to understand their spiritual position could leave them struggling with the very things Jesus Christ came to deliver them from.
Adeboye delivered the message in the Thursday, October 22, 2026, edition of Open Heavens Daily Devotional, titled “Your Divine Identity,” where he emphasised the importance of understanding one’s identity as a child of God and living in accordance with the principles of holiness and righteousness.
Drawing from 1 Peter 2:9–11, the cleric reminded believers that Christians are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation and a peculiar people called out of darkness into God’s marvellous light.
According to him, recognising this spiritual identity empowers believers to overcome life’s struggles and resist the temptation to return to sinful habits.
Adeboye Uses Eagle Story To Explain Spiritual Identity
To illustrate his message, Adeboye recounted a story about an eagle that was hatched and raised by a mother hen.
According to the devotional, the eagle spent years behaving like a chicken, scratching the ground for worms without realising its potential to soar in the sky.
However, after seeing another eagle flying, it began to recognise its own ability to spread its wings and fly.
The experience eventually helped the eagle realise that it was not a chicken but an eagle created to soar.
Applying the illustration to Christian living, Adeboye explained that believers who fail to recognise their identity in Christ may continue to live below their spiritual potential.
He stressed that understanding one’s divine identity helps Christians appreciate the freedom secured through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ.
The devotional encouraged believers to stop living as though they remained bound by the struggles and limitations from which Christ had delivered them.
‘God’s Word Reveals Your Divine Identity’
Adeboye also emphasised the importance of studying the Bible, describing God’s Word as the means through which believers discover their true spiritual identity.
He cited Psalm 119:130, which teaches that the entrance of God’s Word gives light and understanding.
According to the cleric, consistent reading and studying of Scripture help believers understand who they are in God and how they should conduct themselves.
He maintained that a person’s background or social status does not determine their spiritual standing after accepting Christ.
Referencing Revelation 1:6, Adeboye noted that Jesus Christ has made believers kings and priests unto God and His Father.
He further described Christians as God’s chosen vessels and ambassadors for Christ, citing 2 Corinthians 5:20.
Adeboye Warns Christians Against Sin
The RCCG leader cautioned that understanding one’s divine identity must be accompanied by a commitment to holiness.
He explained that Christians, as vessels of the Lord, are expected to distance themselves from anything that represents sin and unrighteousness.
The devotional’s memory verse, Isaiah 52:11, calls on God’s people to depart from uncleanness and remain clean as bearers of the vessels of the Lord.
Adeboye used the passage to stress that believers should not live in ways that contradict their spiritual calling.
He likened the expectation of holiness to the conduct expected of royalty, arguing that Christians must recognise the responsibilities that accompany their spiritual identity.
According to the message, sin undermines the dignity associated with the believer’s calling, making it necessary for Christians to remain committed to righteous living.
Christians Challenged To Examine Their Spiritual Lives
The devotional concluded with a reflection question challenging readers to consider whether they truly understand and live according to their divine identity.
The central message is that Christians should not only identify themselves as children of God but also demonstrate that identity through their choices, conduct and relationship with God.
Adeboye’s message further encourages believers to deepen their knowledge of Scripture, embrace their spiritual position and reject behaviours inconsistent with the Christian faith.
The devotional’s Bible reading is taken from 1 Peter 2:9–11, while the recommended Bible passages for the day are Luke chapters 3 and 4.
The accompanying hymn is “I Am Thine, O Lord,” a Christian hymn expressing the believer’s desire for a closer relationship with God and greater dedication to His service.
Devotional Details
- Date: Thursday, October 22, 2026
- Topic: Your Divine Identity
- Author: Pastor E. A. Adeboye
- Memory Verse: Isaiah 52:11
- Bible Reading: 1 Peter 2:9–11 (KJV)
- Bible In One Year: Luke 3–4
- Hymn: “I Am Thine, O Lord”
Tarakirivoice Newspaper Enterprise
