Remember You are God's Children
“Now if we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ.”
Romans 8:17, NRSV
In Paul’s letter to the Romans, we are reminded of our primary identity—God’s beloved children. Now, the world tries to convince us that we are not enough—that we need more—that if we just a had a little more money, a little more fame, a little more success—then we’d finally be whole, happy and contented people.
Yet, as we know, this never works. It’s like one of my favorite jokes, which asks: Who is more content, the man with 10 million dollars or the man with 10 children? Of course the correct answer is: the man with 10 children, because he doesn’t want any more!
The good news is that when we remember who we really are, when we remember that we are unconditionally loved, and when we remember that we are God’s children—with God’s grace—our entire outlook on life will begin to change. Because when we see ourselves in this new and different light, we will also come to see others in the same light.
During the dark days of the apartheid regime in South Africa, the Anglican Archbishop Desmond Tutu, speaking to a group of white Afrikaner businessmen, said, “My fervent wish for you is that one day you will come to know just how much God loves each of you. For when you comprehend that, you will be able to see how much God loves other people as well.”[1]
With God’s grace, may we remember and embrace our true identities. May we reach out to others with the same love that God has already shown us. As we do this, we pray that all may come to know God’s unconditional love and remember who they truly are—God’s beloved children.
[1] Frey, William C., “The Dance of Hope” pg. 138
