by Joshua A. Littler, Former CVCYouth Intern
Being a child is a natural part of life. Of course, this is nothing new. Everyone has a mother and a father, and despite our attempts to travel to Neverland, we all have to grow up sometime. Not everybody lives such a simplistic life, however. Many children across the world have never met their parents, and others live in emotionally and physically abusive households. How, then, does being a child of God relate to our walk with Christ? How exactly do we live out what the Bible says about our relationship with God and our part in His family?
- Revel in what it means to be a beloved son or daughter of God.
It is thoroughly amazing that guilty, wretched sinners can be saved through faith and become children of God (John 1:12). Guilt, shame, and feelings of inadequacy will always be around in one degree or another, and it will often be hard to see the truth of Scripture through this fog. Dedicate time to reread and memorize Scripture that describes your identity as a child of God (i.e. Galatians 3:26 and Ephesians 1:5). - Cry out to God as His beloved child
Practice and live out your identity as a beloved child of God. His Word shows us that we have the freedom through His grace to call out to Him with confidence. This is explained beautifully in Romans 8:14-15: “For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, ‘Abba! Father!’” (ESV). - Make communion with your Father a regular part of your day.
Read the Word that He has given you and pray silently throughout the day. If you feel as if God is too distant and impossible to reach, respond with faith rather than fear and commune with Him just as He admonishes us to do in His Word. - Work to exemplify your heavenly Father in your own family environment.
If we are called to represent our heavenly Father, what better place is there to do that than within our own families? The Valley of Vision describes this in a powerful way: “Sanctify and prosper my domestic devotion…that my house may be a nursery for heaven, my church the garden of the Lord” (p. 113). By living out your identity as a child of God, you will help your family and others around you see a more vivid picture of the character of God.
