Adopted

Have you ever thought about adoption? Have you wondered how your life would have been different if you had been adopted into another family? Would you have had a better life? Would your chosen profession be different?

Many of us have been adopted into another family, even if not legally. When we get married, we join two families together. We call them the “in-laws.” We may have friends whose homes are our second homes. Perhaps we have been legally adopted into another family.

As we grow older, we adopt others into our families. Close friends become family. Our sons and daughters get married and we adopt their spouses into our families. We bring pets into our families. Even our co-workers can become like family to us at times.

When we commit to Jesus Christ, we become part of God’s glorious family. God makes us holy because His Son was made the perfect sacrifice for us. He made the way for us to be adopted into a family of holy brothers and sisters of which we do not deserve.

Deserve—a word that is often misused in today’s culture. To deserve something is to be worthy of it or to merit it. We do not deserve to be rewarded with eternal life with God, but He has granted it to us anyway. It is called grace. Through Jesus, we have been grafted into God’s perfect olive tree (Romans 11:17-24).

We should never take for granted being adopted by God. After all, it is only because of His love for us that we are offered the opportunity to be adopted. His love has caused Him to show mercy on us, forgiving us of our shortcomings, and showering His grace on us. Being thankful for God’s wonderful gift is the appropriate response.

I pray we all understand we are adopted by God. I pray we are thankful for God’s wondrous grace. I pray each one of us accept His grace and respond with love toward Him.  Know that you are adopted. Know that you are loved. Accept God’s grace. Be thankful for God’s mercy. Share God’s love with others.

Hebrews 2:10-11 In bringing many sons and daughters to glory, it was fitting that God, for whom and through whom everything exists, should make the pioneer of their salvation perfect through what he suffered. Both the one who makes people holy and those who are made holy are of the same family. So Jesus is not ashamed to call them brothers and sisters.