We Are God’s Children
Open Your Bible
1 John 2:28-29, 1 John 3:1-10, John 3:1-15, James 1:19-27
BY Erin Davis
God the Son is a concept I can wrap my brain around. His humanity makes Jesus feel approachable, relatable even. God the Spirit is a more abstract concept, but my head and heart can still connect the dots. I’ve felt the Spirit’s stirrings in my heart. I’ve seen Him bring peace and joy to His people. But God the Father? I’m afraid that’s where you lose me. Picturing Him feels like lying on my back and watching cloud pictures float across the sky. One second I can make out the edges of the image through squinted eyes; the next, it’s gone. I have a hard time grasping God the Father and an even harder time picturing God as my Father.
You don’t have to read too closely between the lines to discern that my relationship with my dad has been complicated. There’s affection there, but we’ve learned the hard way that the bumps and potholes of life can fracture our tender bond. There’s no reason to go into the specifics here because you’re likely already thinking of your own dad. Perhaps he’s been absent, apathetic, or abusive, and when you get to passages that describe God as Father, you can’t help but question His love for you. Or maybe when you count your lucky stars, your loving, attentive earthly father is among them. Even so, your earthly father is a sinner, incapable of loving you perfectly.
So when the Bible speaks of God’s love for us as a paternal love (1John 3:1), the kind between a loving father and a devoted daughter, it can be hard to see the full picture. John’s letter urges us to keep squinting, to keep trying to see God the Father. There’s a cadence, a rhythm that beats throughout the letter. John refers to God as Father over and over. That’s the downbeat: God is Father. God is Father. God is your Father. Look again and you’ll find a counter rhythm, the sweet language of childhood, gently referring to us, the readers, as little children, beloved and born of God (1John 3:2,7; 4:7). This language isn’t patronizing, but tender. The upbeat of the letter is this: You are His child. You are His child. You are His beloved child.
I’m well into my adult years, but sometimes my heart still takes the posture of a little girl, doubting God’s love or wanting to hide from Him in fear. John’s words gently bid me to look up and see the love God the Father has lavished upon me. I imagine Him kneeling down, lifting my chin to say:
“So now, little [child], remain in him so that when he appears [you] may have confidence and not be ashamed before him at his coming. If you know that he is righteous, you know this as well: Everyone who does what is right has been born of him” (1John 2:28–29).
How do we know we’re His? Because of the kind of love God offers. Though we were once sinners, separated from the Father, He reaches toward us with paternal love. We have assurance of God’s love because He does not treat us like strangers. He treats us like family. And not the way you treat a distant cousin, awkwardly kept at arm’s length. No, God lavishes love upon us. He responds to us like a perfect Father should.
The wonder of this truth may still be hard to grasp, but it doesn’t change the facts. God is the Father “who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine” (Ephesians 3:20, NIV). And we are His beloved daughters.
72 thoughts on "We Are God’s Children"
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My Dad also had many faults. He was raised by a Godly grandfather but still never knew his own father and I think that was somewhat pretty in his fathering skills. We lost him right after Christmas unexpectedly and I have peace knowing that while he wasn’t perfect he was saved before he died and now he is with that Godly grandfather and his true father God in Heaven.
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Now that I am a parent myself, I think I am able to get a better idea of God’s love for me. I know that he is always thinking good thoughts about me, protects me, wants to shower me with good gifts, and will always love and be with me. ❤️
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To know how much God our Father loves us is an amount I can’t even fathom. So thankful that he doesn’t keep a 6ft social distance from us!
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i want to recommend Louie Giglio’s book, ‘Not Forsaken’. i feel it’s perfect for today’s theme: God our Father ❤️
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We all bring our own unique stories to the table. I love reading everyone’s comments and how God speaks to each of us through His word. That in and of itself speaks to God’s heart for us and how he meets us where we are today.
Thinking about God as our Father reminded me of a conversation that I had with my dad. One of my siblings is not a believer. I often worry about him and pray for him to come to know Christ. I’ll never forget what my dad said to me one day when I was worrying about this. He said, “You know how much I love all of my children and how I pray for you all, but God loves you infinitely more and better than I do. He cares for you and your siblings and longs to bring each of you to Himself.” When the weight of that really sinks in, I know that God is always for us and that I can trust Him. Then I want to be pure as Jesus is pure because I want to see God in all His glory.
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I am so happy that “God lavishes love upon us.” Throughout the last several weeks I have needed that love more than ever. I am starting to come to terms with my new normal. We are all having new normals right now but I never thought mine would include have to get a new car and a new place to live. I also never thought it would include comforting my sister from a far and not being able to hug her because of our loss. The first thing I plan on doing when the “Stay At Home” orders for our area are lifted is to hug my sister and son and daughter-in-law. After the death of my niece and I went back to work, I do private duty nursing for a four and a half year old little girl, I got my hugs from the family I work for but it just wasn’t the same. SRT and you my Christians sisters have helped me to keep going through all of this. Thank you for all your prayers. I pray everyday for each and every one of you. Be safe. God bless all of you.
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Thank you Erin for your honesty. I once had a very hard time with God the father. My male relationships had not been good. At one point I could just feel His fatherly love. It is such an amazing beautiful love for His children. Do I sometimes forget that love, yes because I am a sinner and turn away out of shame. I want to remember the forgiveness that God grants me time again. I’m so thankful for His love, forgiveness, grace and the Word. I’m so grateful for this study with all you amazing honest women. ❤️
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Mary V, I love your heart toward’s your daughter’s need to grasp and heal in the hands of her perfect heavenly Father. I want to stop and pray for the both of you: O Father God, you know this brokenhearted daughter of yours. I ask you to bring a supernatural healing to her as she and her mom read through this devotion together. May you give Mary gracious and truth-filled words as they discuss the passages read. Open both of their hearts even more than before to the unending love of our perfect Father. And may your name be glorified in their healing. Amen.
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Diana, this brought tears to my eyes. Thank you so much! My daughter did not express much, but that’s OK. She “heard“ the Word of God with it’s related devotion by Erica. I’m so grateful I am not alone.
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