We call ourselves brothers and sisters in Christ, call the church family, identify ourselves as children of God - all these are wonderful ways to symbolize the affiliation we have with the Creator of the universe as well as His creation. But – it’s not just symbolism. We are tied and connected to fellow believers in supernatural ways with a bond that is stronger and more powerful than blood, stronger than the loyalty and love that connects us to our natural family, our parents, grandparents, siblings.
The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God's children. Now if we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory. (Romans 8:16-18)
Never does this become a more demonstrating reality as when I am touched by God’s work in a brother or sister’s life that I don’t even know. We are co-heirs with Christ, we share in His sufferings and share in His glory, and in the ways these two things manifest themselves in our lives. I find myself moved to tears by the heartbreaking story of a struggle against a disease, and find myself lifting my hands in praise to a God Who turns that same struggle into a testimony to His ever-enduring faithfulness. My heart breaks as I see a teenager cry for her friend who didn’t survive past her 14th birthday, and Jesus gently puts those pieces of my heart together again as He allows me to understand more of Him and His purposes in the process of grieving.
The urge to get up in the middle of the night only to be able to pray for a brother or sister whose challenges I only heard about, the need to stop in the middle of my workday to lift up the missionary whose picture I just saw in the news – these are the true marks of spiritual family, testimonies to the magnitude of Christ’s love passed on and manifested in the hearts of His children.
How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! (1 John 3:1)
About Me
- Janine Claire
- Tulsa, Oklahoma, United States
- becoming a woman after God's heart. trying to grasp the reality of being saved and living by grace. going through life with arms and eyes wide open to God's fingerprints on all of His creation. hoping to add to the beauty in thought, word and action.
My favorite blogs
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Left Overs16 years ago
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Thoughts on Motherhood17 years ago
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I've Moved!17 years ago
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Not What I Thought18 years ago
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1 comment:
hey janine!!
ich finds so super, dass du mit blogschreiben gestartet hast! danke fürs mitteilen von deinen gedanken, deinen erlebnissen und der perspektive deines lebens!
du bist eine inspiration für mich, die mich immer wieder auf gott hinweist, die meinen fokus geraderückt und mich herausfordert und ermutigt, konsequent mit gott zu leben!
ich freue mich, wie gott in dir und deinem leben sichtbar ist. dass er dir soviel weisheit und erkenntnis geschenkt hat und schenkt. und ich freue mich, bist du bereit, dies nicht einfach in deinem kopf zu behalten, sondern mit der ganzen (vituellen) welt zu teilen!
bin gespannt auf deine weiteren einträge und darauf, was gott dadurch alles in mir und andern bewirken wird!
*fedda säge
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