Home in the Family

One of the most alluring implications of the Gospel is that we get to be counted as sons and daughters of God (Galatians 3:26). We get Him as “Abba, Father” (Galatians 4:6) - a tender, intimate Comforter (Abba) and a strong, powerful Protector and Provider (Father). 

By authority of the Father (1 John 3:1), through the perfect work of the Son (Galatians 3:26), and confirmed by the presence of the Spirit (Romans 8:16), we who were once lost are now home. Home in God’s family. We are now and will forever be called His children. 

There are times when it is easier than others to sense the beauty and benefit of our new identity as God’s children: in moments of chaos when He wraps us up in comfort; in seasons of lack when He provides and sustains; in times of worship when we’re captivated by His goodness and nearness to us. We can feel the truth reverberating deep in our souls, coursing through us: we are loved and brought near. We hear again and again His declaration over us: You are mine. All is calm and quiet; we rest securely in the strong, loving arms of our Abba, Father…and it is good. 

But this new identity is not one that exempts us from the inevitable days of struggle or doubt that are sure to come. We will, at times, wonder if God is there or if He is aware. We will attempt to lean on our understanding, not acknowledging Him in all our ways. We will want from our Father materially more than we want relationally, squandering and taking for granted His good gifts.

We’ll resonate with the prodigal, whose shame led him to believe his status as son was no longer secure, declaring, “I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son” (Luke 15:11-32). We, too, will believe the lie that our identity as beloved children is tied to our capacity to prove our worthiness of such a position. But God – just like the prodigal’s father – will run to meet us (Luke 15:20) with an embrace that only an Abba can provide, assuring us that our position in the family is and always will be final. “This son of mine has returned” (Luke 15:24), He’ll declare, making known that a child of His is and will forever be home in His family. 

We no longer strive for an identity, but now live from that which was bestowed upon us through the Father: dearly loved sons and daughters. This becomes the home from which the rhythms of our lives find meaning and purpose. It is the bedrock upon which our fears, insecurities, and doubts are swallowed up in the hope that we are heirs to the promises of God, and they are good (Galatians 4:7).

This song, Home in the Family, holds a deeply special meaning for the people who had a hand in crafting it, as their stories have been ones of both being welcomed into the family of God by the Father, but also opening their own hearts and homes to welcome children in through the journey of foster care and adoption. 

The profound act of taking in a child who was once not a part of the family and declaring upon them the very same rights and privileges of any other member of the family acts as a mirror, continually reflecting back to them the truth of their new identities in the family of God. 

Without question, the journey of adoption is a unique and intricate dance between beauty and difficulty. It’s a process often punctuated by feelings of insecurity, a lack of belonging, and a struggle to embrace the collision of old identity vs. new. As we experience the joys and sorrows, God is kind to use the stories playing out in front of us as a reminder of the Grand Story we are all participating in together - the story of a God who relentlessly pursues us and welcomes us into His family, and a people who then do the same for those among us in need of being brought in and gathered up.

We belong to a Father who loves us 

We belong to a Savior who’s kind

We’re brought close by a Spirit who seals us

A God who says, “You’re mine”

We are home in the family of God.

Amen.

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