Child of God

“He reacted like it was the best news he’d ever heard!”

I listened as my friend Carol

recounted one of her interactions in Uganda…

As she taught village children about God’s Word

and encouraged them to memorize the precious words,

She led some in a prayer of surrender

to Truth

And told a young one,

“You are now a child of God!”

The boy reacted with sheer

uninhibited excitement

With elation

inside and out

It was the best news

he had

ever

heard

No one could curb his enthusiasm

over the unbelievable message

And a life was changed that day

Because a young one

embraced His Father

And God’s grace

and love

and forgiveness

enveloped the child

He was grafted into the family

he longed for

An orphan’s hope,

to be adopted by God

– Susie Stewart

But to all who believed Him and accepted Him, He gave the right to become children of God.

– John 1:2 (NLT)

Jesus called a little child to Him and put the child among them. Then He said, “I tell you the truth, unless you turn from your sins and become like little children, you will never get into the Kingdom of Heaven. So anyone who becomes as humble as this little child is the greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven.

– Matthew 18:2-4 (NLT)

One day some parents brought their children to Jesus so He could touch and bless them. But the disciples scolded the parents for bothering Him.

When Jesus saw what was happening, He was angry with His disciples. He said to them, “Let the children come to Me. Don’t stop them! For the Kingdom of God belongs to those who are like these children. I tell you the truth, anyone who doesn’t receive the Kingdom of God like a child will never enter it.” Then He took the children in His arms and placed His hands on their heads and blessed them.

– Mark 10:13-16 (NLT)

You are all God’s children by believing in Christ Jesus.

– Galatians 3:26 (NLT)

“I will not leave you orphaned. I’m coming back. In just a little while the world will no longer see me, but you’re going to see me because I am alive and you’re about to come alive. At that moment you will know absolutely that I’m in my Father, and you’re in me, and I’m in you.

– John 14:17-19 (MSG)

Photo by Susie Stewart

Don’t you know?

Don’t you remember?

You are someone’s child

You are God’s child

And He created you

to be in relationship with Him

But you think you need

to perform for Him

To get it right

to impress

To stop

messing up

But His love is not conditional

on your performance

Nestle into that love

and stay there

Performance is for an entertainer

not a beloved child

I was inspired to write this piece after listening to a interview my cousin, Kathy Gray, did on her new book “Light in Our Darkness”. In the interview Kathy said, “We were never created to perform. We were created for relationship.” Amen. Thank you, Kathy

– Susie Stewart

Don’t be mistaken; in and of ourselves we know we have little to offer, but any competence or value we have comes from God. Now God has equipped us to be capable servants of the new covenant, not by authority of the written law which only brings death, but by the Spirit who brings life.

– 2 Corinthians 3:5,6 (VOICE)

But to all who believed Him and accepted Him, He gave the right to become children of God. They are reborn—not with a physical birth resulting from human passion or plan, but a birth that comes from God.

– John 1:12,13 (NLT)

So in Christ Jesus you are all children of God through faith…

– Galatians 3:26 (NIV)

See how very much our Father loves us, for He calls us His children, and that is what we are! But the people who belong to this world don’t recognize that we are God’s children because they don’t know Him. Dear friends, we are already God’s children, but He has not yet shown us what we will be like when Christ appears. But we do know that we will be like Him, for we will see Him as He really is.

– 1 John 3:1,2 (NLT)

And since we are His children, we are His heirs. In fact, together with Christ we are heirs of God’s glory.

– Romans 8:17 (NLT)

Photo by Susie Stewart