“Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God – children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God.” John 1:12-13

Spontaneous hugs and kisses from my 14-month old are pretty much the highlight of my day.  I love that motherly feeling that your heart could literally burst with joy as you watch that little smile, hear that little giggle, and hold those little hands.  The relationship between parent and child is truly unlike any other relationship we have. 

Parenthood has given me a new perspective on what it means when God tells us that he is our Father and we are his children.  As the child of great Christian parents, I understood what it meant to be a child who loves and respects her parents, but I don’t think I ever really understood the other direction of that relationship – from parent to child – until now.  To think that our God describes his relationship with us as the loving bond of a Father and his children is so humbling and awe-inspiring. 

As John writes, God’s declaration of us as daughters was by his boundless grace, not based on anything we had done or could ever do to earn or deserve it.  Through his grace, looking at us as those washed clean by Jesus’ perfect sacrifice, we are the children of the Almighty, his treasured possession.  Though we sin daily and take our relationship with God for granted often, God still delights in us as his dear children.  By his grace, he delights to use us to share his Gospel and serve our Christian family, and loves to hear our spontaneous prayers and songs of thanks and praise. 

How undeserving we are of the love the Father has lavished upon us, but how blessed we are to live under his grace, able to approach our Father knowing that his love for us means he will listen to our prayers, watch over our lives, and work all things out for the good of his kingdom. 

Dear sister in Christ, live each day knowing that your Father in heaven rejoices over you as his beloved daughter even more than you rejoice over the hugs and kisses from your children!  What love!  What grace!  How awesome to be a child of God!

Ask the Lord
Dear Heavenly Father, thank you for making me a member of your family through your abundant grace.  Help me to always remember what a blessing it is to be called your child and to share your word at every opportunity so that others might believe in you as well.  Amen.


Alicia Cortright