Accepted, loved, and secure
2021-02-09Romans 8:15 NLT
Let’s take a few minutes to reflect on the amazing fact that God chose us to be His. We may not have had the best start in life. There may be things in our past, or even our present, that we’re not proud of. But God still wants us. He can see our entire lives from beginning to end, with all of the mistakes, sins and failures, but He was still convinced ‘to adopt us into his own family by bringing us to himself through Jesus Christ’ (Ephesians 1:5 NLT). That means we can now live ‘like God’s very own children, adopted into…his family, and calling to him, “Father, Father”…And since we are his children, we will share his treasures – for all God gives to his Son Jesus is now ours too’ (Romans 8:15,17 TLB).
God doesn’t reject us because of our background, flaws, weaknesses, or bad choices. We’re His redeemed children. We can ‘approach God with freedom and confidence’ (Ephesians 3:12 NIV). We don’t even have to call Him by some grand title or name – we have the privilege to be able to call Him ‘Father’. And that’s true on our bad days as well as our good ones. By adopting us, He welcomes us into His redeemed family, united by the blood of Jesus.
Maybe our own experience of family isn’t great, but as part of God’s family, we’re instantly part of a loving community. And if God loves us, we must be worth loving. If He wants to have us in His kingdom, then we must be worth having. God’s grace calls for us to change our attitudes about ourselves and stand with God against any feelings of rejection and unworthiness. We’re accepted, loved, and secure, and God treasures us as His children.