Sons and daughters

Our God says to us: 'I will be a Father to you, and you will be my sons and daughters' (2 Corinthians 6:18 NIV). Maybe we've had a great relationship with our own father, which gives us some idea of the immense love God has for us when he calls us his sons and daughters. But, possibly our relationship with our father hasn't been a good one, and the idea of seeing God as father is difficult for us.

Wherever we are in our relationship with our earthly father, we catch a glimpse of God as a perfect father from the story in Mark's Gospel, when Jesus healed a paralysed man. When the man was brought to Jesus for healing, before Jesus forgave and healed him, he called him 'son'. That word 'son' was Jesus' way of telling the man that he was precious and accepted. There were no conditions to fulfil before Jesus would help him.

Jesus didn't say, 'You've got to clean up your act,' or 'You must do things my way.' Instead, He established a relationship with the man by showing him love, compassion and acceptance. That's what our heavenly Father wants to do with us.



So what now? Your heavenly Father wants to invite you into a relationship where you're loved unconditionally, where you're accepted and valued, and don't need to be afraid to come to him just as you are, with all your flaws and weaknesses. When God calls you his son or his daughter, you're being welcomed with open arms into his family.





— SCRIPTURE —

'Son, your sins are forgiven.' Mark 2:5 NKJV
— SOULFOOD —

Hosea 11-14, Mark 14:53-65, Ps 139:13-24, Pro 13:25