#105of365 #FaithBites #FaithJourney

Today’s lesson is about who we are. When someone asks you who are you, how do you reply? What’s the first thing that comes to mind?

First I say, “Hi I’m Sol”. Then if they ask more questions, I may say where I am from, where I went to school, my religion, my nationality, maybe my height and weight, maybe my race. Sometimes I joke that I’m a big fat white guy with a big heart. That is who I am right? I’m funny. I’m educated. I love people. These are all words that describe part of me. How do you describe yourself?

When I think about these descriptions, they actually do two things. The first is they describe who I am. That helps people form an opinion of me. At the same time, by saying what I am, it says what I am not. That may not seem like a big deal, but it actually is. It separates me from others. If I say, I’m a man; it groups me with all other men and separates me from all females. If I say, I’m white, it groups me with all other white people and separates me from anyone who is not caucasian. I hadn’t thought about the problem with those descriptions until our worship service today.

Today, we discussed another description: Child of God. We are part of God’s family. God wanted us to be with him, no matter how many times we screw up. He knew Adam and Eve sinned and through all that time, he wanted us back in the family, so he sent Jesus. Jesus gave us the opportunity to be back in the family: A Child of God.

What’s even more powerful, is even if you don’t believe in God, he loves you. He has never counted anyone out. Everyone has the opportunity to be a child of God. I can’t become another race. I can’t biologically change my sex. I can’t ever sing, well…maybe with lots and lots of help. (Just kidding). But worshipping God and living like he wants us to is something we can all do.

From Go For God – Canada

“See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him. Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when Christ appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is.” – 1 Joun 3:1-2

“Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and strangers, but fellow citizens with God’s people and also members of his household, 20 built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone. In him the whole building is joined together and rises to become a holy temple in the Lord.  And in him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit.” – Ephesians 2:19-22

How awesome is that? God has lavished love upon us. We have been chosen. We will be like Christ. I’m loving this. Pay special attention to the part where it says the world doesn’t know us as Children of God as they do not know the father. That’s pretty powerful. We are chosen to build upon the cornerstone of Christ, make disciples of all nations (Matthew 28:19), and be one family that lives in his Spirit.  That’s an amazing privilege and opportunity.

We can choose the family of God. We can’t pick our family. But we can pick our friends and His Family. We can help others know the Father so they can know us and become one in the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.

Are you willing to choose to be in God’s family? Are you ready to help others understand what His family values are? Are you able to see that we can all be in this family, no matter our physical, emotional, or mental earthy conditions?

I am willing, able, and ready (with the help of God)