Have you ever questioned if you are God’s child or why God would or should love you?   Let’s answer these questions with a common sense approach that starts with a human family.

Suppose this family has two boys, Michael and Mitchel, who are just a year apart.  The parent’s raise the boys the same way; they eat the same food, attend the same schools, and have similar opportunities throughout their childhood.  Both boys love baseball, apple pie and their lives are very similiar.  In every sense of the word, these boys are their parent’s children – it is just the way it is.

Now suppose both the boys get married and Michael’s family stays involved with his parents.  They eat together often, hang out, play games, watch movies, laugh and cry with each other.  When Michael has kids of his own, his parents become the best grandparents in the world.

Meanwhile, Mitchel and his wife move out of state, and despite regular and varied attempts to stay in contact, he deliberately avoids his folks.  They worry that they may have offended Mitchel’s wife, but are not sure.  He doesn’t call them back or respond to their texts and they don’t know why.

At this point, we really need to ask if Mitchel is still a child of these parents?  Beyond biology or their history growing up, is there still a relationship with him?  What should the parents do if Mitchel avoids them for twenty, thirty, or forty years, and then comes back home?  

Jesus tells us what will happen next in his own words: “But while the prodigal son was still a long way off, his father saw him and felt compassion for him, and ran and embraced him and kissed him. And the father said to his slaves, ‘Let’s eat and celebrate; for this son of mine was dead and has come to life again; he was lost and has been found.” (Luke 15:20 – 24).

Wow!  That’s exactly what Mitchel’s parents would do to.  They would kiss their son, welcome him home and celebrate. Because yes indeed, Mitchel is still their son.  He is still their child when he chooses to come home.

They will probably cry like never before, and the tears will be for joy of the moment, regret for all the lost opportunities of the past and love for their son, all at the same time.  Because Mitchel is indeed their son, and he finally chose to come back home.

So, what is our takeaway for today?  That God is our Father, who wants more than anything to have a relationship with you.  He wants you to spend time with him, learn about him, hold hands with him and rest with him.  He wants you to read his book, and discover even more of his joy for your life.

He wants more than anything to share life with us.  And when we do, a whole new world of being God’s child opens to us.  When we see the beauty of a rainbow, hear the morning song of birds, or feel a gentle strength when holding hands, we can exclaim, “Thank you, God” and we’ll truly feel him smile as he responds, “Yes, I made that moment for you!”  

Being God’s child and sharing life with him can bring us indescribable joy and peace.