Child of God

I grew up as a middle child some of you can relate to that. It’s not that you are not loved by your parents but often you find out you are not the favorite child for any one parent which is good and bad. In some ways it is almost a relief because there are fewer expectations placed on you that being the oldest carries with it. But in the same manner you can feel as if your parents love the youngest one the most. You know what I mean everyone loves the baby in the family and parents have dealt with others and have learned what works and what doesn’t so there is less trial and error of discipline as the youngest child grows up. That point of view comes from the experiences I have had as a parent. There are books written about this subject and how birth order effects the development of people if you really want to know more about it.

Today as I walk with God I have learned something about the parent child relationship that we all need to understand as we walk in obedience to God. That truth is found in John 1:10-13,

“10 He was in the world, and the world was made through him, yet the world did not know him. 11 He came to his own, and his own people did not receive him. 12 But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, 13 who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.” (ESV)

Each and every one of us has been created in the image of God in that moment of conception we began a life based on the physical world. We required food, water, warmth and personal care but at that stage almost anyone or anything can provide it to us. So a child born in the flesh requires a relationship with some sort of caregiver. As a child you can be brought to endure many things people will desire to put there will into your life. Many parents live their dreams or attempt to live their dreams out through their children always pushing them to play a sport or learn an instrument often resulting in the child resenting what they have tried so hard to do to make mom and dad happy and sometimes resenting the parent who has pushed them so hard to perform in the flesh. Than you find that child who has been loved and cared for they have had all their needs meet and have learned to be content in the situation they are in. They strive to excel not because others require it but because they seek after their own goals their only desire is to prove they are able to do whatever they want no matter what others might think. I have personally dealt with all three areas in my life as I have grown and developed into who I am today and most of you have to. But 13 years ago there was a change in my life and instead of trying to be who everyone else thought I should be I accepted Jesus into my life and became a child of God. When I had felt unloved by parents He still loved me, if I was unable to live up to the expectations of my parents he still loved me, when I personally failed to achieve my goals we still loved me. I have learned something from this experience and I hope it is clear that God’s love is so different than the love of most parents. You see my children have let me down I have let my parents down and the cycle goes on. In this God accepts me for who and what I am. He knows every choice I will be making and has already prepared a way for me to move on through it. He has an advantage over us a parents He sees the whole picture and His love is never based on what I do or don’t do He still loves me. It is that unconditional love that calls to each and every one of us no matter who we are or what birth rank we have when we are a child of God we are loved as if we are the oldest child who cares the promise or the youngest one in whom we have the greatest hope for the future. Because God knows who we are and what He has called us to and when we believe on Him he believes in us and equips us to do what we were created for. Have a truly blessed day as you walk in the light of God’s Word.