1 John 3:1-3
“See what love the Father has given us, that we should be called children of God; and that is what we are.” vs. 1a
Folks in the early Christian communities lived precariously as they waited for the promised revealing of the Lord Jesus. There were a multitude of forces arrayed against them, ranging from the erratic cruel Roman despots to the insidious false prophets who tried to undermine the gospel of grace. Believers found solace in faith, particularly in the conviction that they were–by love———the children of God, and that nothing could snatch them out of God’s hands. We don’t live under the same conditions, but times are still precarious. Our enemies are more subtle and come at us from every direction. Pulled to and fro by cultural expectations, many struggle with identity issues. Just who are we anyhow? And what can we do to make ourselves more acceptable to others? We listen to podcasts and watch YouTube videos and hope that somehow we can learn to love and accept ourselves. And truth is that we don’t need to be more than what we already are. We are the beloved children of God…that’s who we are. That is our identity…we don’t have to be richer or smarter or more attractive. God loves us as we are, and if there’s any changing that needs to be done, we are not to worry. The Holy Spirit is in charge of that…and when it needs to happen, it will! In the meantime, we can simply bask in the certainty of God’s love.
Thought for the Day: When do I feel most loved by God?
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