Living as Beloved Children of God
This Advent season, we’re inviting you to participate with us in reading Advent & Christmas: Wisdom from Henri J.M. Nouwen, a daily Advent devotional. This blog series comes alongside Nouwen’s devotionals to offer personal reflections on the daily reading. Today’s post is a companion to Day 9 “Mary, Our Mother”. Find more resources and follow along with this series at summitdenver.org/Advent.
Today we’re encouraged to take a moment and look to Mary the mother of Jesus, for through her loving example we’re reminded: we too, are the children of God. We are beloved sons and daughters and loved far more than we could ever comprehend.
Our sanctification is often stunted not by the absence of love, but by our inability to accept the love we’ve been freely given.
But if you’re anything like me, that can be a hard truth to take hold of. Instead of accepting the Father’s perfect love, you try to filter it through a lifetime of scars.
For me, that scar looks something like this: In order to be loved, you must prove yourself worthy of being loved.
“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” John 3:16
I grew up on a pillowcase with John 3:16 stamped on it. I committed that verse to memory and slept on that pillow every night. But, if you fast-forward thirty years, you can hardly see the print on that pillow anymore. And the edges, once crisp, are now tattered and worn.
For so long, I thought love was a transaction.
But that’s not what we’re being called to today. We are being invited to accept our true identities. We are the children of God. We are loved and we have been justified by the blood of Christ.
“It is a heart that will not make us wonder anxiously whether we are truly loved.” - Henri J.M. Nouwen
If the power of that identity was ever in question, take a moment and consider your enemy.
Did he not question Christ’s identity in the wilderness? Not a heartbeat after the Lord said, “This is my son, whom I love, with him I’m well pleased.” (Math 3:17), Satan says to Jesus is, “If you are the son of God...” (Math 4:3) Pay attention brothers and sisters! For if your King was pressured to believe this lie, what makes you think you’d be spared from it?
If the one true God says, “Broc, you are loved.” Should I be surprised when the enemy whispers, “How could he love you? You’ve done nothing to deserve it?”
Of course not! Satan needs us to believe we’re unloved.
Our sanctification is often stunted not by the absence of love, but by our inability to accept the love we’ve been freely given. We believe the lies: about ourselves, and more importantly, about God.
But take heart, for our Savior is patient and the work he begins, he finishes.
“See what love the Father has given us, that we should be called children of God; and that is what we are.” 1 John 3:1
Not long ago, I was asked, “Do you have any idea how worthy you are?” Never had I heard that verbalized. And of course, I fumbled to respond, and later chastised myself for not responding in a way more eloquent - A way more, worthy. That whole exchange is laughable now.
Because, that turmoil reflects perfectly what my answer should have been: “No. I have no idea how worthy I am. I am hopelessly trying to live up to my own unattainable standards and I’m desperate to justify that I’m worthy of love.”
Year after year, scar after scar, the enemy had conditioned me to believe that lie.
But through Christ, there’s no amount of dirt, and there’s no expanse of time that can erase the truth of what was written on that pillow.
Having my eyes opened to the true scarring of my heart was just the beginning. There are still years of healing to be done. But, praise be to God! For where He brings revelation, He brings victory.
He is a father who pursues his children. Who insists we reclaim who He says we are.
I am not called a child of God because I am worthy of being such. But, by the blood of the lamb, I have been justified. I am now called beloved and called so rightly.
May we push into that truth this Advent season. Like children, may our eyes be drawn skyward in eager expectation for the return of the one who is coming again to set all things right. And when that day comes, there will be no question of how much he loves you.
My prayer for our church today is the prayer I often pray for myself: Father God, would you snuff out the lies we’ve been told about you. Would you give us courage to take ownership of our new identities; as beloved sons and daughters. Would you forgive us for all the times we’ve willingly chosen the lie. Make us like children, Lord Jesus, and restore our hearts to a place that more accurately reflects their intended design. Amen.
