Lessons from a Duck on Connecting with God

When ducks are young, they know who to follow…it’s mom. No question about it. Just watching little ducklings toddling along behind a mother duck brings smiles to our faces. Surprisingly, this duckling behavior gives us an important clue about how to live  more joyfully and successfully.

Ducks are wired to quickly attach to their mother when they hatch. It’s a process called imprinting. They form an immediate attachment and align with their mama.

Because of imprinting, ducklings learn to act and mate like a duck from their mother, including how to follow in a line for safety.

If mom isn’t present when they hatch, the ducklings imprint on who they encounter first. Ever seen a duck who has attached to a person? It has happened!

Forming an attachment to the wrong species can change a duckling’s entire destiny!

Connecting with God

Like the ducklings to their mother,  you were intended to connect with God from the day you were born.

This is so significant! God created you in His own image. Like Adam and all the generations that followed him, God’s image has been passed down to you.

“In the day that God created man, He made him in the likeness of God. He created them male and female. … And Adam lived 130 years, and begot a son in his own likeness, after his image” (Gen. 5: 1-3)

God’s spiritual DNA resides within you! That DNA is activated through the Holy Spirit when you choose Jesus. You begin to discover God’s character and His great love for you as your relationship deepens and grows.

But, if work, social activities, family, or other priorities become more important than your relationship with God, your attachment to Him begins to dwindle.

These priorities may begin to define you rather than God. You begin to attach to the world, not God. It’s like a duckling imprinting on a goose or a person – it’s simply not meant to be! Protect your attachments. Connecting with God is a number one priority.

Discover True Joy

Jesus tells us in John 15:5, “I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing.” Without Jesus and His presence within us, we do not bear joy or any other fruit of the spirit.

Jesus goes on to tell the disciples “These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may remain in you, and that your joy may be full” (John 15:11).

Like a branch, our true joy comes from remaining connected to Jesus, the vine. When you remain connected, God will transform you into a reflection of Jesus and His joy.

Without that connection, there is a spiritual void that we attempt to fill in other ways. You may find happiness, but that is often a temporary emotion based on favorable circumstances and not sustainable over time.

Let’s go for the true joy and trust that it will be full. Like those cute ducklings to their mom, connecting with God will help you fulfill your destiny.